A Return With The Reapers
by PrincessEspie
Summary: Shepard has stopped the Reapers, taking control of them. The Normandy crew survived, returning to Earth six months later, only to find out that Shepard had been declared KIA. Three years later, the only people left on the Normandy are EDI and Joker. Can a single message bring everyone back together? Even the broken-hearted Garrus? This is a Garrus X F. Shepard Pair. T for language.
1. So What're You Getting Us Into?

**Chapter 1**

**My comments :**

Hello all! My name is Espie and I am an actual writer. This is my first fanfiction. I absolutely love the Mass Effect trilogy. I've beaten and re-beaten it. This particular story will take place after the events of Mass Effect 3. Anything that happened is up here, so, spoilers are evident. Within this, Shepard would have made the following choices. Shepard's history is an Infiltrator and Sole Survivor Colonist (in other words, her life sucks). Shepard took control of the Reapers.

I will not mention Shepard by her name! There will also be a few Reapers I mention by name other that Harbinger and Sovereign. These Reapers hold no significant importance to the game, but are merely there to help give names to 'faces'.

Now that, _that_ is out of the way, I just have one more thing to say. Reviews are welcome! They will definitely convince me to write more. Otherwise, I want you to review or PM me to just tell me what you think!

**The Story :**

Joker sighed as he looked over the controls. The Normandy was currently docked at the Citadel. No one had wanted to touch it, because it was one of the few memories on the late Commander Shepard. Joker was the only one who remained on the Normandy, aside from EDI. He had been there for three years since the final fight. The one he lost Shepard in.

Joker shook his head. Despite what everyone had said, he still felt responsible. He should have stayed and picked her up. Instead he had left her. After that, even the crew dispersed. If it wasn't for the SR-2 still being around, Joker could've sworn that he was back during that first Collector attack.

Garrus had been alternating between Omega and Palaven. Even then, he barely talked to anyone. Kaidan was as silent as Garrus, but he was on the Citadel. He wouldn't even visit the Normandy because it hurt him too much. Tali had gone back to the Flotilla, but at least she still talked to him. No one really knows where Liara went. Every once in a while though, Joker would receive a message from her. Apparently, Javik had gone with her. James had left for his N7 training, and was usually too busy to message anyone.

EDI's calming voice sounded from behind him, "Jeff? You have a message. It seemed urgent."

Joker sighed, but found himself smiling a little. He turned and stared at EDI's platform. "Alright. Thank you EDI. Did you read it?"

EDI took her normal place at the co-pilot's seat. "No. It was addressed to you."

Joker laughed, turning back to the controls. "Alright. Though I can't see why you didn't." He pulled up the message.

"It was addressed to you," she repeated, looking at him in confusion.

_Pilot Jeff "Joker" Moreau,_

_While scanning through Commander Shepard's memories, we saw you as a trusted ally and friend. I am referred to as Monarch. One year after the end of the war, I retrieved a part of what your people dubbed 'The Crucible'. This specific piece had frozen everything inside and would not allow entry to any being other than a reaper. Inside was the previously mentioned being, Commander Shepard._

Joker froze. He looked at EDI. "The Commander was inside the Crucible that whole time?" He looked down. "Dammit."

EDI merely turned to Joker. "I am assuming you have not yet finished, Jeff."

Joker sighed, taking a second to glare at EDI before returning to the strange message.

_When we reviewed what memories we retrieved when the Commander melded with us, we saw that the subject in question greatly revered those around her. She wanted nothing more that to stop the Reapers that terrorized her friends and the ones she began to see as family. We believed that the subject in question deserved to see how it all turned out. This could be because the subject's views and emotions joined our own. I will provide a list of people I believe that the subject would like to see when she awakens._

Joker almost fell out of his seat. "What?!"

EDI turned to him. "Jeff? What is it?"

Joker swallowed carefully. "Shepard's alive again. Whoever sent this message is saying she is alive."

EDI nodded carefully, probably going through the numbers on whether that is possible or not. "Is there more?"

Joker nodded, looking back to the message.

_You have two weeks to gather the people before coming to the coded location at the bottom of this message. With EDI's processing power, it should be easy. If you fail to arrive at this time, Shepard will be awakened anyway. As we cannot allow this information to get out, you must keep the reason for the meeting secret. It is also asked that you delete this message from all databanks once the list is copied. We eagerly await your arrival._

_Monarch_

Joker quickly copied down the list of people. "EDI? Can you decode the location, write it on this paper, then delete everything about the message?"

EDI nodded, grabbing the pen and paper. Within a few moments she copied the location down, handing the paper to Joker. "Any mention of the message was deleted, as well as the voice recordings of what was inside the message."

Joker nodded, looking at the paper. "I'm going to need your help to track these guys down, EDI. We have two weeks."

~ Break ~

Garrus stared at the wall of the elevator. He had been helping with recovery on Palaven when Joker had sent him an urgent message. The message had said that the Alliance were planning to dismantle the Normandy.

Garrus punched the side of the elevator. "How could those bastards do such a thing? That is all we have left of her." Garrus' arm dropped, remembering Shepard. "All I have left of her," he muttered. For the third time since he had received the message, Garrus had to hold back the tears.

When the elevator opened, Garrus stormed off towards the Normandy. He waited impatiently as he was decontaminated. He stepped into the Normandy, still fuming

EDI's platform stood in front of him. "You are the last to arrive, Garrus. Jeff asked me to bring you to the mess hall."

Garrus nodded, his mandibles flaring in anger.

~ Break ~

Joker sighed. Everyone in the room was yelling at him, asking him what was going on. He sighed loudly. Garrus was taking the longest since he had come from Palaven, but the rest of the group had arrived on the ship about an hour beforehand. They refused to listen to his 'wait for the rest group' line every time he gave it.

"EDI? Is our last member here yet?"

Everyone fell silent so that they could hear EDI. "We are exiting the elevator now, Jeff."

Joker turned. "Perfect timing, Big Guy. Take a seat."

Garrus sat down, obviously tense. Joker sighed, turning to look at the group in front of him. Everyone from the list had assembled in the make-shift circle EDI had helped him put together in the Mess Hall. Dr. Chakwas, Garrus, Kaidan, Tali, Liara, Javik, Miranda, and Grunt. Admittedly, they were an odd group.

"Joker!"

Grunt's shout shook Joker out his trance. "Right. Sorry." He took a deep breath. "Listen. We have two days left to make it to our coordinates. This will be a last attempt at making sure the Normandy stays just the way it is."

Kaidan sat back, obviously unimpressed. "Wouldn't we just meet on Earth?" Being a Spectre and a member on the Alliance, even Kaidan found this situation unlikely.

EDI covered for the Normandy's obviously flustered pilot. "Our scans indicate that the meeting is meant to be a secret."

Javik grunted. "This would be a clever way to get all of us in one place for a trap."

Joker sighed. "We don't have any other choice, and we have to leave now. Anyone who isn't willing to come doesn't have to, but speak now. We aren't making any stops."

No one moved an inch. EDI stepped forward. "Jeff? We should return to the cockpit immediately."

Joker nodded, grabbed EDI's offered arm and made his way to his familiar chair. "Let's go get her back, EDI."

"Confirmed. Taking off."

~ Break ~

Joker took one more breath. They were almost in viewing distance of the ship that the Commander was on.

Kaidan looked out the window, leaning against a wall behind Joker. "What aren't you telling us, Joker?"

Joker sighed again. That was all he would ask. That was all anyone would ask. Lucky for him, he hadn't left his pilot's seat. "I'm not hiding anything. Why would I- Holy crap." Joker fell back in his seat at the sight before him.

A ship larger that the Geth Dreadnought they had taken down shadowed before them. Several Reapers surrounded it protectively. The ship itself was a very simple design, similar to a bunch of cubes stuck together. It looked like parts of it could be ejected if needed.

EDI looked over at Joker. "We have an incoming transmission from our contact, Monarch."

Kaidan gripped the back of Joker's seat. "What the hell have you gotten us into?!"

Joker sighed for the hundredth time. "Patch her, er, him, er, it, through, EDI."

"Right away, Jeff."

The transmission was static at first, but quickly adjusted by EDI. A soft feminine-like voice entered the cabin;

"Greetings, Pilot Jeff 'Joker' Moreau. This is Monarch. You are cleared to dock. I shall be waiting to greet all of you."

Joker took a relieved breath. "Right away, Monarch." He carefully pulled the Normandy into the docking port.

"Jeff? The air inside the ship has been prepared. It is possible to breathe in the ship."

Joker nodded at EDI, activating the comm system. "Everyone prepare to board the other ship." He took another deep breath. Things were about to get interesting.

~ Break ~

The group stood in front of the air lock, waiting for the pressure to equalize. Joker and EDI stood at the front of the group. A very confused Liara and Kaidan whispered to each other behind them. Behind those two, Tali was trying to calm the still upset Garrus. Miranda and Chakwas were even farther back, talking about the likely hood of this being a trap. In the back, Jack and Grunt were arguing over who would kill more if they got attacked.

The door opened very slowly, though that could have been their nerves. When it did open, a robotic figure similar to a human female stood in front of them.

"Hello. I am the AI form of the Reaper Monarch. I thank you all for your haste in coming here. Please come this way."

She stood in the middle of the entrance, a smile on her face.


	2. Overcoming the Return

Chapter 2

**My Comments :**

I don't really have much to say since I plan on putting these both out at around the same time. So, um, review and tell me what you think! I would really like to know! Oh, and I realize that this is going to be really confusing, but it'll get better very soon! I hope ;-)

**The Story :**

Tali's hand went instinctively to her gun. "More AI's? And Reapers? What were you thinking, Joker?" she growled under her breath.

The rest of the crew followed Tali's thought process. Chakwas stepped towards the back of the group, not used to fighting. Kaidan, Liara, and Jack all started to glow blue.

Monarch merely tilted her head. "I did not allow Joker to tell you the real reason for coming. I chose you because of your nature to the subject. Please, continue this way."

"I thought this was about the Normandy," Garrus muttered, glaring at Joker.

Everyone joined Garrus and glared at Joker, who seemed the most nervous of all. He did however, follow the AI without question. As did EDI. The group looked amongst themselves before following.

Monarch continued to talk. "I had made sure that your port was near the Subject's room. Ah. Here we are."

Only a few doors down from their docking bay was their apparent destination. When they walked in, they saw a simple room filled with technology. The center of the room was clear other than a small bed, a figure covered in a white blanket on the before-mentioned bed, a console located next to the figure, and a robotic Turian male operating the console.

Jeff's eyes fell of the figure and he felt his hopes rush back. "Oh god. It's true." He felt tears tug at the corner of his eyes. _'I didn't kill her!'_

Grunt seemed to growl a little. "What's true?"

Monarch looked at them. "The subject is almost ready to awaken. Please stay calm at the introduction of the leading scientist on the project." She gestured towards the Turian male. "This is Harbinger."

A collective gasp sounded through the group as the AI turned around. "Hello," he said simply. "The subject is now ready to wake up." Harbinger's gaze fell on Miranda. "Oh yes. Without your help the Subject might not have recovered. Very good work." He turned around again.

The group looked at a very confused Miranda. "What did I do?"

Harbinger waved his hand dismissively. "Implants. Kept Subject alive. Beginning awakening process. Monarch, please move the blanket from Subject's face to allow easy airflow passage."

Monarch obliged, walking over carefully. As she lifted the blanket, another gasp arose from the group. This one was much louder.

"S-Shepard?!"

Joker looked at the surprised Liara, who had uttered the words. "You bet. Never would have guess the Reapers for the helpful type, huh?"

Kaidan walked over, pointing his finger straight in Joker's face. "You knew about this? You didn't tell us? Why the _fuck _didn't we hear about this?!"

Monarch looked up, noticing the extreme tension and the look on Kaidan's face. A look that suggested he really just wanted to hit the closest thing. In this case, that would be Joker. "We asked the pilot to remain quiet about the whole thing. We couldn't risk the subjects safety."

Harbinger's voice silenced everyone. "Subject about to fully regain consciousness."

~ Break ~

Shepard felt her head pounding. She tried opening her eyes once, and, only seeing light, promptly closed them again. Her thoughts wandered to her last moments. Suddenly worried that it had all been a dream, she quickly took in a breath and sat straight up. The Commander forced her eyes to open. She was in a simple outfit that had resembled her off-duty one. Her skin was pale, but otherwise intact. Shepard gazed to her left first.

"Glad to see you're awake, Commander Shepard."

Somehow, Shepard found herself knowing exactly who this strange AI was. "Thank you, Monarch." She caught herself. "Where am I?" she asked quietly.

"We brought guests for your reawakening."

Shepard contemplated that thought for a moment, realizing she wasn't dead. "Wait. Guests?" Shepard's head shot to her right, spotting her crew. "G-guys?"

Joker was smiling the widest she'd ever seen, obviously trying not to cry. Liara was crying, though she seemed happy. Grunt was smiling, his hand raised in the air, signaling some sort of victory. Dr. Chakwas was trying to comfort Liara, but her cheeks were covered in the same salty tears. Tali was sniffling, her head shaking in disbelief. Javik was smirking, all four of his eyes conveying that same happy feeling. Kaidan looked speechless, but a slight smile was on his face. Miranda stood next to Kaidan, obviously feeling the exact same way as him.

Finally, Shepard's eyes spotted Garrus. He looked either ready to cry or punch something. She wasn't quite sure. She was contemplating what Garrus would look like when he cried when she heard the first sound of movement. A pair of familiar strong arms wrapped around her waist. They gripped a little too tightly, but she craved the touch.

"I'm so happy you're back, Shepard."

Shepard spun around, hugging Garrus back, unaware of where she had been, or how long. "Glad to be back, Garrus."

Garrus picked her up, making her stand up. She managed to stand on her own, facing the crew. Shepard managed a smirk. "Is this any way to greet your commander?"

With that, Liara and Tali surged forwards, wrapping their arms around Shepard. She would have fallen over, had Garrus not had an arm still wrapped around her waist. Everyone but Grunt, Kaidan, and Javik ended up in the group hug. Once Shepard disconnected herself, she shook hands with the three of them. The crew stood there, still gaping at her.

Shepard put her hands on her hips and spoke in a mocking tone, "You guys act like you haven't seen me for years."

There was silence in the room. Everyone's faces fell a little.

Shepard's arms fell to her sides. "Okay. What the hell did I miss?" Her voice wasn't mocking anymore. This time, she was ordering her old crew to explain themselves.

Liara walked back over to her, grabbing one of Shepard's hands in her own. "Shepard? You were declared dead two and a half years ago. That was six months after the end of the war."

Any ghost of a smile on Shepard's face vanished. "I've been gone for three years?" she muttered under her breath.

~ Break ~

Liara stared out the window of the Starboard Observation Deck. She watched as the Reaper AI dreadnought seemed to get smaller and smaller until it was nothing at all. Kaidan leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling and trying to grasp the situation.

Tali walked in, noticing the tension in this room was the same throughout the ship. Liara turned around expectantly.

"Any luck?"

The Quarian engineer shook her head sadly. "No one can get into Shepard's room. It seems the news hit her pretty hard."

Immediately after returning to the ship, the galaxy's hero had locked herself in her room. Even Garrus couldn't get in. Even EDI had been ordered to let no one in.

Kaidan sighed. "It hit us hard too."

The Shadow Broker shook her head. "In a different way. She just learned that she'd been gone for three years. We just got to see her again after thinking she'd been dead for three years."

Kaidan's arm shot down, punching the couch. "This is the second time it's happened, dammit!" The second human spectre leaned forward, putting his face in his hands. "We all missed her! We thought she had died again!"

Tali glanced at Liara. Some had obviously missed Shepard more than others. Kaidan had taken it hard the first time, but even harder the second. He still hadn't noticed how serious Shepard was with Garrus either. Needless to say, he still hadn't let go.

Liara sat next to him. "We did miss her, but she just realized that she missed three years. She missed seeing the beginning of the world recover. Her last memory was likely of dying, Kaidan."

Tali nodded thoughtfully. "Could you imagine having the memory of dying? Twice?"

Kaidan took a deep breath. "No. I couldn't." He stood up, walking quickly out the door.

~ Break ~

Shepard took a deep shuddering breath. She wasn't used to feeling so weak. Her brain was still comprehending exactly what had happened. She had died, not once, but _twice_.

"Commander Shepard? Miranda is asking to see you. She is outside the door."

Shepard sighed at the sound of EDI's voice. "Tell her that I don't want to see anyone."

"Acknowledged."

Shepard heard an annoyed curse from the other side of the door. "Thank you EDI. Can you call the elevator up in thirty minutes?"

"Yes, Commander Shepard."

Shepard took a deep breath. She delved deep into her closet, pulling out an outfit she had bought for shore leave on Earth. She had never actually worn it. Shepard carefully climbed into the shower, her first since she came back.

"Shepard?"

"I'm trying to relax EDI," Shepard grumbled.

"Grunt is wishing to see you."

Shepard was, admittedly, surprised. "Tell him I'm in the shower. No one can come in."

"Acknowledged."

After several minutes of bliss, Shepard stepped out of the shower and sighed. Twenty-five minutes in the shower was practically heaven to her. She carefully pulled on her outfit. It was pretty simple; a pair of jeans and a dark blue t-shirt that showed a little more of her chest than she was used to. Shepard sighed. Honestly, the shirt didn't even show any of her cleavage, but she wasn't used to wearing anything like that.

"The elevator has arrived, Commander."

Shepard nodded, taking a deep breath. She didn't want to see her friends and crew, but she didn't really have much of a choice. She would have to see them eventually.


	3. Meeting Everyone For A Second Time

Chapter 3

My Comments:

So... I forgot to add my disclaimer... I don't own Mass Effect. That honor goes to Bioware and EA. This plot line however, belongs to myself. And I apologize. I haven't quite figured out a way to separate the point of view paragraphs. I promise to keep trying until I get it. For now I'm just going to type in ~Break~. If any of you know a better way... Please tell me. I would love you for ever. Please bear with me! Also, please review! These reviews will keep me excited to write!

Any of you who are reading... Do you think I should make the chapters longer? I feel like I'm strapped for space near the end... But I wanted to know what you think!

The Story:

Shepard carefully stepped out of the elevator. Her gaze fell on the memorial board. Two plaques were set in the middle. She sighed quietly at the first one. Anderson. She felt her heart skip a beat at the second one. _Shepard_. It had her name.

"Dammit. Why can't they understand?"

Shepard froze. Kaidan was walking from the Starboard Observation Deck. He stopped in front of the Memorial Board. His hand carefully brushed against Shepard's memorial plate. It was obvious he hadn't spotted her yet.

"This doesn't belong here anymore," he muttered quietly.

Kaidan pulled out the memorial plate, with a little too much force. It crashed to the ground. Shepard took three steps over, picking it up for him.

"I have to agree. I don't really think it belongs there."

Kaidan turned around, shocked. "S-Shepard!"

Shepard smiled, standing back up. "Hey, Kaidan."

Kaidan was frozen, his eyes looking over Shepard. "Oh, uh, right." He couldn't quite figure out why he was so flustered, though he could admit the Commander's outfit didn't help.

Shepard laughed. "I've had this in the back of my closet since the beginning. I had been saving it for shore leave on Earth."

Kaidan took a deep, subconscious breath. "Right. It's good to see that you're out of your cabin."

Her smile faded. "Yeah. I figured I couldn't mope around forever. Besides, if I ignored everyone, things probably wouldn't get any better." Shepard managed to force a smile.

Kaidan knew Shepard enough to realize this. "Hey. Do you want to talk about it? I know I wasn't there for you before, and I regretted that decision right after I made it, but I'm here for you now."

Shepard shook her head. "No. I'll be fine, but thanks for the offer. I'm starving though. Know where I can grab a bite to eat, Major."

Kaidan found himself smiling. "Right this way, Commander."

~ Break ~

Garrus sighed. Calibrating the shuttle could only distract him so much.

"You seem more upset than usual, Turian."

Garrus turned to look at the familiar four-eyed teammate. "Good to see you too, Javik."

Javik scoffed. "I'm sure that is the case. What is bothering you?"

Garrus sighed again, leaning against the shuttle. "Do you ever just stop to relax? Or are you still worried about the end of the galaxy?"

"It would be simple for one to kill another if they dropped their guard. Is this about Commander Shepard?" When Garrus said nothing, Javik assumed he was correct. "I sensed your feelings during the war."

Garrus was, admittedly, surprised. "You knew?"

Javik merely nodded. "I brought it up to the Commander at one point. She confirmed my suspicions."

Garrus shrugged. "I guess I should have assumed. And I'm only worried about her. She's locked in her room."

"Yes. I heard many of the crew complaining that they had tried to see her and failed."

EDI's voice interrupted Javik's thought process. "Kaidan has prepared lunch for everyone and requested that you come upstairs. Liara also prepared food for you, Javik."

Garrus glanced at Javik. "You'd better not keep her waiting."

~ Break ~

Shepard laughed happily, throwing some of the flour at Kaidan. Kaidan laughed in return, merely shaking his head. Liara smiled at the both of them managing to get along as she got out plates and silverware for everyone.

"Shepard!"

Shepard turned to Miranda. "Hey! I see EDI wasted no time. Come up and get something to eat. I would suggest this section over here with the human food."

Miranda found herself smiling as she got some food and took her seat next to Dr. Chakwas. Grunt and Tali both walked out of the Starboard Observation Deck, surprised to see Shepard.

"Come get something to eat! We made food specifically for you!"

Tali and Grunt both grabbed some food, happy that Shepard had come out of her room. EDI had already grabbed Joker's portion and brought it to him. This would be the last meal they all shared together, as Joker had informed the Commander that they had two hours left. One hour, since cooking so much had taken so long. Shepard heard the elevator door open.

"How am I supposed to know?" questioned a slightly exasperated sounding Garrus.

"You should know much about this subject, Turian. Rivals must be taken down," replied Javik.

Shepard smiled at Garrus as he turned the corner, one of her eyebrows raised. "About time you got here, Vakarian."

Garrus stopped moving. "Shepard?"

Kaidan moved from behind Shepard. "You'd better hurry before it gets cold, Garrus."

Garrus felt his mandibles move in a grin. He and Javik joined everyone at the tables. They laughed and joked, Joker and EDI joining them over the comms. Shepard sat down at the end of the table, right next to Garrus. Kaidan took the seat across from her.

"Now, if you don't mind me asking, Commander; what are you wearing?"

Shepard laughed at Dr. Chakwas' question, but noticed everyone looking at her curiously. "I've had this since the beginning. I never wore it because I never had a reason to!"

Everyone laughed, and Shepard felt Garrus' free hand grab onto hers. She smiled back at him.

Shepard hadn't even realized how long they had been talking and laughing until she heard EDI's voice over the comms. "Commander? You presence is requested."

Shepard managed to keep a smile as she excused herself and headed towards the elevator. Once the door closed, her smile faded. There was no way life would ever be this peaceful again. No one knew exactly what she could do. She had the Reaper's at her beck and call.

The door opened and Shepard headed straight towards the cockpit. "I'm here Joker."

Joker turned, smirking. "If you're going to keep wearing stuff like that commander, I might need to keep you up here for moral support too."

"Jeff," came the one word warning call from the AI next to him.

Joker laughed. "It was a joke, EDI. Lighten up." He spun back around. "This is the Normandy SR-2 requesting permission to dock."

"Under what clearance did you have to leave in the first place?" came the annoyed voice of humanity's current voice on the Citadel, Hackett.

"I had to pick up an old friend, Admiral."

"A who is giving you clearance to dock again? Official business only while we rebuild, Moreau."

Shepard leaned down so she was in the image. "The deceased Spectre Commander Shepard, I think that should be clearance enough."

The shock was evident on his face. "D-24 Normandy. Same as always."

Shepard carefully took a worn locket out of her pocket. She opened it, revealing a picture of her and her parents before the attack on Mindoir. "EDI? Before we go, can you help me with this?"

EDI nodded, placing the locket on Shepard's neck. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Commander?"

Shepard sighed, studying the locket that rested just above her dog tags. "I don't have a choice. I can't hide from this forever."

~ Break ~

Kaidan noticed Garrus finally put his right arm back on the table after Shepard had left. He studied him carefully. Garrus seemed awfully close to Shepard. Back on the Reaper ship, he had hugged her and kept his arm around her waist. And she had been _okay _with it. Had he missed something? Shepard couldn't be- no. That's ridiculous. She couldn't love Garrus, right?

Shepard's extremely solemn voice interrupted the happy group from the intercom. "Everyone? Prepare to dock. We shall be exiting onto the Citadel in a few moments."

Kaidan and everyone else froze. No wonder she wanted everyone there. Kaidan watched Garrus stand up and walk quickly to the elevator.

He sighed. As he glanced at everyone else at the table, as simple message was displayed.

Things were about to get a lot more interesting.

~ Break ~

Shepard took a deep breath, staring at the door in front of her. Garrus wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his hand giving one of them a reassuring squeeze. She noticed a still confused Kaidan glaring at Garrus.

"Commanding officer is ashore. No one remains to stand on deck."

Shepard laughed at the familiar voice. She stepped forward, feeling Garrus' hand remove itself.

"Whoa."

The citadel was still in the recovery process, but it was still as beautiful as ever. Despite the resentment Shepard felt towards most of its people, she still found herself constantly admiring the place. Her gaze lowered as she stepped out into the open. The area had obviously been cleared out right before they arrived. Three familiar faces greeted her with surprise and disbelief. The one that had served under Shepard stepped forward, extending his hand.

"Nice to see you again, Lola."

Shepard shook the extended hand and ignored the snicker she heard from behind her.

"Feeling's mutual, Vega."

James had that same cocky smirk of his face, and he looked pretty happy in his N7 uniform.

"Nice to know you managed to live again, Commander."

Shepard stepped forward, shaking Bailey's hand.

"Nice to be alive, Bailey."

Hackett took a deep breath. "Glad to see our hero has returned."

Shepard took the last step forward, listening to her crew reacquaint themselves with James and Bailey.

"Good to see you're still alive and kicking, Admiral."

Hackett shakily shook Shepard's hand. "I didn't think I was seeing right when you showed up in the vid call. I was pretty damn sure I was seeing things."

Shepard laughed. "Nice to know I always make some good entrances."

Bailey went back to his spot next to Hackett. "Unfortunately, this is going to have to be cut short. The Council wants to see you."

Shepard's smile faded. "Well isn't that surprising?"

"Glad to see we're as predictable as ever, Commander."

Shepard jumped, looking down into the lounge. Three familiar Councilors looked up at her. Bailey laughed at her reaction.

"They figured it would be easier to meet you here. Less prying eyes."

Shepard nodded, walking around the corner and standing a little ways in front of the council. "It is an honor to be in your presence again, Councilors."

The Turian Councilor shook his head, chuckling. "If only that were the case, Commander."

The Salarian Councilor got right to the chase. "Commander Shepard? Where have you been for the last three years and what happened on the Crucible?"

Shepard froze. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell them that she could control the Reaper's... Could she?

"They promised to not lock you up, Commander." Shepard turned to Bailey in surprise. "They figured locking the galaxy's hero up wouldn't be a good idea."

Shepard nodded, taking a deep breath. "This is going to be a long story. You might want to sit down."


	4. How it Happened

Chapter 4

My Comments:

Man... I am getting way to excited. Good thing this story can continue forever... And I still have a good idea of where it might be going. Again, I know it's going fast, but once Shepard can take a breather, so can you. She just needs to explain herself and... Whoops... Not going to give that one away ^^ Have fun! Also, I'm thinking about naming the chapters. What do you think?

I don't own Mass Effect! That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. I do own this plot however.

I got two reviews so far. The first wasn't entirely nice, but it was polite and I am going to start rectifying my mistakes, so thank you. The second wasn't nice at all, but I can take that. I thank both of them however for strengthening my resolve. As of now the story should start to slow down a little and I will delve more into the character's thoughts and emotions. I will also re-re-read my story to catch those grammar mistakes that only seem to appear once published. Again, thanks you two and my current followers! You rock _and _give me inspiration to write!

The Story:

_Shepard stared at the two machines before her. The little boy stood behind her, watching her every move. Thoughts raced across her mind faster than ever, and Shepard was having a hard time quelling them. The choice was obvious, but she second-guessed herself anyway. If she chose to wipe out synthetic life, EDI and the Geth would likely perish. After everything she had gone through and the friends she had made, could she truly make so many people sad or angry? The answer was obvious. Shepard had to take control of the Reapers. With this, she could even help rebuild. It was a win-win, right? If so, why did she feel so empty on the inside?_

"_Forgive the insubordination, but your boyfriend has an order for you..."_

_Shepard's breath caught at her memory of Garrus. That would explain the empty feeling. She started to limp towards the machine. If she did decide to take control of the Reapers, she would be... well... dead. There probably wouldn't even be a body._

"_Come back alive. It'd be an awfully empty galaxy without you."_

_Her step faltered. That's right. These were some of the last words she had exchanged with Garrus. He had told her to come back. If she went through with this, there wouldn't even be a body to return to him. An explosion that rattled the Crucible brought Shepard back to reality. Saving the Normandy, Earth, the galaxy... That was all that mattered. A tear fell down her cheek as she continued limping. She couldn't keep her promise. Heck, she didn't even know if she'd make it to Heaven. Shepard looked at the approaching machine._

"_I guess I can watch him through the eyes of the Reapers. Make sure he gets out of this alive. After everything he's done for me, he deserves to move on and live happily."_

_Somehow, the thought of Garrus moving on only made Shepard's chest hurt more. This sharp pain in her chest was something she'd only felt for the third time. The first had been on Horizon, with Kaidan. He had broken her heart that day. The only one who had even been close to picking up the pieces was Garrus, and he had managed quite well. The second had been after Garrus and Liara were hurt heading towards the beam. Garrus hadn't wanted to go. Leaving him behind as the Normandy flew off was the second pain. She remembered smiling at him, thinking that everything was going to be just fine, as long as one of them made it out._

"_Then we're going to retire somewhere warm and tropical."_

_Shepard gasped again, feeling more tears sliding down her cheeks. The taste of salt water lingered on her lips. The third pain was right now. Leaving the crew, no... Garrus behind hurt her the most. He would have to retire alone. Though, knowing him, Shepard assumed he would keep fighting. Shepard stared at the two handles before her. The last chance to back away. Go to the other and live._

"_No," Shepard muttered._

_She couldn't let her hopes of surviving and meeting Garrus again pollute the truth of what needed to be done. Her hands tentatively gripped the handles. Shepard took what she believe to be her final breath before activating the machine. A gasp quickly escaped her lips._

_'I-I'm dying,' she thought to herself. 'My body will be gone forever. No... wait. My mind is being separated from my body.' Shepard felt herself smile with her last bit of strength. 'Maybe they can have a body after all.'_

Shepard took a deep breath, looking up. The last thoughts of Garrus had, admittedly, been weaseled out of the story. However, the main message that Shepard, was in fact, the master conscious of the Reapers had really hit home. The shock was evident on the Councilors faces. The Asari councilor even had her face buried in her hands.

Shepard turned to study her crew. Throughout the duration of Shepard's story, they had been leaning against the railing, listening intently. Now, however, most of their positions had changed.

Liara was staring at the ground, muttering, "oh my goddess" over and over again. Javik was pondering the thought, staring out the window in the opposite direction. Tali was patting Liara on the back, muttering 'Keelah' every few moments. Joker had his back to Shepard, staring out the window, his head was shaking in disbelief. EDI was staring blankly at a wall, calculations going over and over in her head. Dr. Chakwas' eyes were looking at everything other than Shepard. Grunt seemed to be going over the choices, likely deciding that he would have chosen differently. Miranda seemed too shocked, realizing that Shepard had done what the Illusive Man had been after. Bailey was shaking his head in amazement, muttering something to Hackett and James, who looked equally surprised.

Kaidan was sitting on one of the steps his head in his hands. "That's what she went through?" he muttered to himself, too quiet for anyone to pick up on. A strange sense of regret filled him, realizing that he had been angry with Shepard.

Garrus stared right back at Shepard, the only one to meet her eyes. He couldn't believe that Shepard had gone through that and stood in front of them, perfectly sane. There had obviously been holes in Shepard's story. She had mentioned that the words of a good friend made her stop and question herself. The words made her grieve, though he couldn't figure out why. Who had said those words? Garrus picked himself off the wall he was leaning on. His steps to Shepard were swift.

Shepard smiled as the familiar arms wrapped her in for a hug. The whole room held in their breath at the sudden display of affection, but Shepard could care less. Right now, she felt safe. Garrus let go of Shepard after a few moments, keeping a reassuring arm around her shoulder.

"I cannot imagine having to make that choice, Commander," the Asari Councilor said quietly.

At the sound of the Councilor's voice, the crew snapped fully back to reality. Kaidan felt a familiar pain in his chest. What was Vakarian doing with Shepard? An immense amount of jealousy flowed through Kaidan's veins. A large enough amount that he was barely able to quell it. More importantly, why was Shepard only smiling? There was no way she... Liked him... Was there? Kaidan glanced at the rest of the crew, who seemed pretty calm about it. Was he overreacting? It didn't make sense. He'd ask the crew about it later.

The Turian Councilor stood. "If you have control of the Reapers, how can we trust that you won't use them for your own selfish gain?"

Shepard cringed. She'd seen this coming. The Turian Councilor had never really like her. Why? Shepard had no idea. Of course, Turians loved to follow the rules and they did prefer all that red tape Garrus was constantly complaining about. Being a Spectre and a previous member of Cerberus probably didn't help.

"If you hadn't noticed, the Reapers have done nothing but help! They helped to rebuild entire cities!" Shepard stepped forward, raising her hand to point at the Turian Councilor. Garrus' arm moved so that only a hand rested on one of her shoulders. "The Relays wouldn't even be functional without the help of the Reapers! Do you really think that I would have gone through all that shit and died not once, but _twice_, just to end the galaxy on my own damn terms?!"

The Turian Councilor took a step back, appalled. The Asari Councilor stood up, obviously trying to avoid a confrontation that both parties would regret later.

"We understand your worry," she said calmly, looking at the Turian Councilor. "However, Commander Shepard has shown many times over that she does know what she is doing."

"The Commander does hold a point."

Shepard nodded a 'thank-you' to the Salarian Councilor.

"It doesn't matter is she has a point!" The Turian Councilor stepped forward, standing only a foot away from Shepard. "All she has to do is get angry and she could destroy an entire planet! Do we really want someone this dangerous flying around the galaxy?"

Shepard felt her resolve shrinking slightly. Sadly, the Turian Councilor had a point. Other than the fact that she had sent a general consensus that the Reapers couldn't hurt any synthetic and organic life, it would be pretty simple to contact Monarch and have that order taken back.

Garrus stepped forward, lacing his talon with Shepard's hand. The tension in Shepard's hand was obvious. Not just her hand, however. The rest of Shepard's body was tense, so much so that even the veins in her neck were showing.

Kaidan watched, feeling his jaw clench. 'What the hell?' he thought to himself. So, he hadn't been imagining things? 'Did everyone else know about this?' Kaidan glanced at the rest of the crew, picking out who was surprised and who wasn't at all.

The first to catch his eye was Joker. Joker had turned back around. A smile covered his face as he glanced at the Commander and Garrus. Something was mumbled to EDI and she seemed to run a few probabilities before nodding.

"They must know," Kaidan muttered quietly. "Why didn't they mention this to me?"

Liara was the next to catch Kaidan's eye. Liara's eyes had widened a little at Garrus' movement. He noticed her gaze flick to him for just a moment.

"She knows too? How long has she known?" Kaidan turned back to Garrus and Shepard. The sharp pain had returned. "How long have they been together?" he muttered under his breath.

Garrus could feel everyone staring at him, but his main focus was on Shepard. "Shepard risked her life and lost it so that all of you could stay alive! She even chose to save the Council during Sovereign's attack. Which, I may add, she helped stop!"

Shepard gave Garrus' hand a squeeze. "If I really wanted to destroy the galaxy, wouldn't I have just given you some sort of stupid lie?"

The Asari Councilor nodded. "Shepard has made yet another point. I vote that we let her go, reinstate her spectre status, and, if Admiral Hackett would agree, give her back the Normandy."

Hackett gave a small nod. He knew that no one else should belong at the command of the Normandy. The Normandy belonged to Commander Shepard and no one else.

The Turian Councilor scoffed. "Why should we give her power back? Doesn't she have enough?"

Kaidan stood up, walking over to Shepard and standing on her free side. "Shepard saved everyone's ass! Do you really want to make it seem like you could've done it without her? Because everyone here knows that you couldn't!"

Behind him, the rest of the crew stood silently. All smiles had vanished, and everyone was watching with a mix of curiosity and fear.

The Asari Councilor took a deep breath. "As of this point, it is the Salarian Councilor's choice."

The gazes in the room switched to the Salarian Councilor. He looked at everyone curiously. Speaking as rapidly as Mordin, he finally figured out what to say. "Many different factors at work. Too many to decide and answer right away. Many problems. Yes. Many problems. But many possibilities. Yes. Many possibilities. Made many good choices. Like curing Genophage."

Shepard found her mind wandering to her efforts back on Tuchanka.

~ Break ~

"_You guys go! I'm heading to the shroud!"_

_Shepard nodded at them before turning and running towards the Shroud. She ignored the unhappy yells behind her. 'I need to make sure that Padok Wiks can get to the top. If only Mordin was here. Then I wouldn't need to worry like I do.'_

_Shepard ran into the shroud. "Padok Wiks! You need to hurry! This place isn't going to last much longer."_

_He shook his head. "I have to go to the top. Need to fix temperature. Thank you Shepard."_

_Shepard stepped towards Padok. "Then I'm going with you."_

_He sighed, stepping into the elevators. "Go, Shepard. World still needs you. Good luck."_

_Shepard watched the elevator rise towards the top of the Shroud. 'Why couldn't he just accept help?' Shepard turned, running out of the collapsing Shroud. Once she got far enough away, her eyes looked back up to where Padok was. As a snow-like substance began to come out of the shroud, a large explosion appeared from where her Salarian friend was._

"_Oh, gods."_

_Shepard froze. 'Why? He did so much for all of us and this is what he gets in return? I promise to not forget what he did for us. I'm sure Eve and Wrex feel the same. Even Grunt if he were here.'_

~ Break ~

Shepard shook her head. She couldn't think about that now. Her head raised to look at the Councilor in front of her; the one who could decide her fate.

"Simple choice though. Easy. Many problems. Many difficulties. Many possibilities."


	5. Kaidan's Realization

Chapter 5

My comments:

So many followers and favorites! I'm so excited now! Please, don't forget to review. Reviews, follows, and favorites keep me exhilarated to write. I hope the last chapter was better that the previous ones. Also, reviews are my favorite ;-) Thank you to all my fans. This is going to sound cliché, but you guys are my inspiration... Literally! Oh... And if any of you know the Councilors' names... I would love you forever...

Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and EA. I own this plot.

Also, I got a review from one of my awesome followers. It was my first review that actually made me want to write for a couple hours... Even though it's 2:00AM. So, thank you, Fulliron! You rock!

Here is a response to one of the reviews I have gotten:

~ **purple T-rex** : Believe it or not, I am not being arrogant. I am an actual writer. Three plays are currently underneath my belt and two books in progress (one is a joint project, so I can't work on it all the time). As per the other two reviews, I didn't know how to allow them to show at the time, so they didn't show up. I changed my settings so that reviews automatically show up. My main problem is that this is my first "Fan-fic" and I was really nervous. I still kind of am. I am trying hard to fix my problems, as you might be able to tell from the difference between chapter 4 and the other chapters. I will definitely take the idea for loosening up to heart. This will likely appear in the next chapter however as this one is mostly finished by the time I'm writing this :-) Thank you very much for your feedback. Any other feedback you could give would also be awesome!

Also, I was curious if ending on the "Cliff-hanger" was a good idea or not? What do you guys think?

The Story:

Shepard noticed everyone else holding their breath, but her mind kept wandering. The voice itself was familiar, and Shepard felt an odd connection to it. Perhaps she knew the Salarian in front of her?

"Your choice, Councilor."

The Salarian nodded at the Asari Councilor. "Simple choice. Must side with Shepard. Done much for galaxy."

Shepard heard both Garrus and Kaidan release their breath. Behind her, the Normandy crew began to cheer.

The Asari Councilor smiled. "We should be heading back now."

"You go. Wish to speak with Shepard."

Bailey and Hackett walked to the Skycar, closing the doors behind the Asari and Turian Councilors.

Shepard found herself smiling. 'I'm actually back. I can keep going on!' Shepard found the muscles in her body relaxing. She turned and hugged Garrus, laughing happily.

Kaidan took a deep breath. He turned and walked back up the stairs. "Hey, Liara?"

Liara wiped a happy tear off of her face. "Yes?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Liara nodded slowly, her mind suddenly comprehending what was about to happen. "Of course."

Kaidan dragged Liara off to the side, his mind running through all of his thoughts and painful emotions before finally settling on what to ask. "How long have you known?"

Liara tried not to panic. Normally, the idea of panicking would have been ridiculous, but Liara didn't want to hurt Kaidan; or say something that would upset Shepard later. When she realized that Kaidan was still staring at her, Liara decided that the truth would suffice.

"Only recently, Kaidan. In all honesty, Javik told me. He mentioned that he had felt Shepard's feeling during the mission."

Kaidan felt his head spin. 'Of all the people to know... Javik?! Shepard told Javik?' Kaidan felt that pain worsen again. 'Does she not trust me enough to tell me?'

Javik glanced over at Kaidan and Liara. He could feel Liara's stress from where he was standing. Slowly, Javik made his way over to the duo. "Is something the matter?"

Kaidan gave Javik a death stare, a stare that was only worsened by his eerily calm and quiet voice. "When did Shepard tell you about her and Garrus?"

Javik chuckled, amused. "She did not."

Kaidan took a step forward. "I'm not joking with you, Javik. When. Did. She. Tell. You?" Each word was enunciated slowly and deliberately.

The Prothean sighed, already tired of the Spectre in front of him. "She did not. I sensed it. Apparently, he helped her through a very rough time before she came to know me. I do not know more, and she refused to elaborate. The human pilot knows more. He often jokes to the Commander about it."

Kaidan took a step back, his voice sounding like a hiss. "Joker knew?! Dammit. Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Javik turned around. "I shall tell the pilot that you wish to speak with him." Javik walked over to Joker slowly, making a gesture towards the obviously annoyed Kaidan.

As the realization hit the star pilot, he suddenly felt like crawling in a hole and dying. He had known about Shepard and Garrus since the beginning. It was obvious, honestly. The day Joker had confronted the Commander about it was still fresh in his mind.

~ Break ~

"_Joker? What the hell did you call me here for? Everyone is sleeping. Even I was." Shepard glared at her pilot, sitting in the co-pilot's seat. She took a sip of the coffee in her hands. Honestly, sleep had been alluding her the past few days. Every time she closed her eyes, she would dream of her past with Kaidan and a grief-stricken version of their encounter on Horizon._

"_Didn't know you were into aliens, Commander."_

_Shepard choked on her coffee. "Joker? What the hell are you talking about?"_

_Joker laughed. "Oh come on. I've seen the way you look at him. You've got a thing for our resident mercenary, Archangel!"_

_Shepard took a deep breath. "Is that your only evidence, Joker? Because honestly, I'm not impressed."_

_Joker smirked at his commanding officer. "EDI? How many times has Commander Shepard gone into the Main Battery since the Horizon mission?"_

_Shepard's mouth gaped. "You wouldn't dare!"_

_The pilot raised his eyebrows. "Oh. I dare."_

"_At least once a day, Jeff. On most days, the Commander visited twice."_

_Joker laughed again. "Thank you, EDI. And, since I pilot the ship, I deserve to know what's going on inside of it."_

_The Commander found herself smiling. At least she could trust Joker to not tell anyone. He would joke about it, but he wouldn't tell a soul. Not until she was ready anyway._

"_Not aliens, Joker." She smirked devilishly. "Just one sexy Turian." Shepard leaned back in the chair._

_Joker laughed. "Yeah. I guess if you were into aliens you would've jumped Liara, huh?"_

_Shepard choked on her coffee again, but at least this time she was laughing. "Joker!"_

_Joker shrugged. "Don't worry, Commander. I'm just happy I got you to smile."_

_Shepard stood, placing a thankful hand on Joker's shoulder. "Thanks, Joker. And I promise to get you that new magazine you want from Omega next time we're there, alright?"_

_Joker laughed. "I'll hold you to it, Commander!" Joker sat back in his chair as Shepard walked off. 'After the incident on Horizon, I wasn't sure if the Commander would ever smile again. Now, she not only smiled, but laughed too. Maybe Turians are miracle workers.'_

~ Break ~

The pilot shrugged calmly. "That's what happened."

Kaidan leaned against the wall. "Why didn't she ever mention anything to me? I would've been there for her!"

Joker felt his anger building up a little, remembering some of his less-than-happy talks with the Commander. Shepard had started going to him to confess. There were times when she would start crying, and it was all because of the person in front of him. In almost everyone's eyes, the Commander was an all powerful deity, but Joker had seen her true side. The one that he was pretty sure only three people had ever witnessed to this day; himself, Javik, and Garrus. The second one only because he had seen some of her deepest secrets. Needless to say, Joker didn't want to Kaidan to ever live down what he had done to the Commander.

Joker limped forward, his eyes dark and serious, matching his voice. "Do you really think she would want to mention anything to you? She refused to leave her cabin for five hours after Horizon! Five goddamn hours, Kaidan!"

The grief-stricken Spectre looked up, the realization of what he'd done finally hitting him.

"Were you there for her then? No! You were off thinking that she was the enemy you were after. That tore her to shreds! Do you know who sat with her through the whole thing? The one who picked up all of the pieces of her broken heart? Not you. _Garrus. _One of the only ones she felt she could trust. In her eyes, you had left her! You had left her alone in the world. All of those walls you had slowly worked to get down? Those were built up twice as strong. She let no one in until someone cared enough to break them down. After she started to see Garrus, you know what happened? She smiled again! Shepard managed to _laugh_. That may not seem like a big accomplishment, but she didn't smile for weeks, Kaidan. Weeks! If you ever want her trust again, you're going to have to earn it! I'm not going to spend another night in that cockpit listening to her cry over the bastard that broke her heart!"

Joker turned to EDI. He nodded at her as they both headed back towards the cheering group. 'Maybe now he can understand just what her did to the Commander. He needed that reality check the most.'

Liara sat quietly, staring at the ground. Honestly, she still regretted not joining the Commander, but she had other things to do, like taking down the Shadow Broker. At least she had been willing to help Shepard. Liara cast her eyes over to Kaidan. He was now sitting with his back against the wall. His eyes were faraway, distant. She started to walk away.

"Did I really do that to her?"

The young Asari froze, turning back to Kaidan. His eyes were locked onto hers. "Did I?"

Liara slowly nodded. "From what Javik has told me, and from what I've gathered from my informants." Liara took a deep breath. "Yes. You did."

Kaidan sighed, his breath shaking more than usual. "Why didn't I realize it? I was there on our final surge against the Reapers. Why didn't I realize it?"

Liara joined the others as Kaidan continued to mumble that one line to himself over and over again.

~ Break ~

Shepard disconnected herself from the others when a somewhat upset looking Joker rejoined the group. She shrugged it off for now, heading over to the Salarian Councilor.

"I'm sorry. You stayed to speak with me and I just left."

"No worries. Savior of galaxy. Curer of Genophage. I can wait."

Shepard stared at the Councilor for a few more moments. "Why do you seem so familiar?"

The Councilor actually chuckled. "Wondered if you'd notice. Always a smart one, Commander. Picked things up. Yes. Many things. Glad to see alive. Glad you left Cerberus."

Shepard took a step back, memories rushing back to her. There _was _a reason he sounded like an old comrade. "Mordin?! You became a Councilor?!"

The Salarian in front of you chuckled as the crew behind you began to quiet. He removed the head piece. "Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

Shepard found herself hugging the Salarian in front of her. "Mordin! I wondered what happened to you after that!"

Mordin smiled. "Was doing research experiment. Couldn't get away. Heard about curing Genophage. Wanted to help. No way to escape. No. No way."

Shepard separated herself from her old friend. "We still managed it. The Dalatrass tried to cut a deal, but I knew that lying probably wasn't a good idea for a treaty. Besides, Wrex would've gone after my head on a silver platter if he'd found out."

The old scientist nodded thoughtfully. "Very probable. Krogan have violent tendencies. Wrex likely to go after you personally."

The Commander laughed. "Nice to see your planning Wrex's attack on me, Mordin."

Mordin laughed. "Should be going soon. Send message. Need time to catch up. Preferably with angry Turian not trying to lock you up."

Shepard smiled. "That would be nice. Anything else before we both head off, Mordin?"

"Hm. Only one. Still have pain-killers? Needed for relationship with Turian."

Shepard started choking on air. "M-Mordin!" The Commander felt herself laughing anyway.

Garrus glanced over, curious as to why Shepard was choking on nothing in particular.

The Salarian scientist chuckled. "Reiterating earlier statement when against Collectors. Opinion still good. Still have information packets?"

Shepard shook her head. "I don't think this is really the time to be talking about this, Mordin!"

Mordin continued to smile, placing a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "Will send message. See you another time, Shepard."

Shepard nodded, watching Mordin put his cowl back on. She waved as Mordin walked off towards the waiting Skycar. As Shepard turned around to face her crew, she felt an odd sense of happiness. Almost everyone was laughing or smiling. Javik was smirking, though considering who he was, that was as close to a smile as they could get. Kaidan was standing away from the group, staring out the window.

'Is he going to be alright? He's been acting funny. I hope it wasn't something I did.'


	6. Getting Back In the Saddle

Chapter 6

My Comments:

Um... Stuff? Not much has happened since I posted my last chapter. So... Enjoy! ^^ (I'm sorry. That is my favorite emoticon.) Don't forget to review! Oh... And I was curious... Do you guys think I should change the 'Adventure' genre to 'Humor'? I seem to be leaning towards the latter. On a separate note

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect! That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. This plot belongs to me, however.

Here are my responses to reviews:

~ **The Invisible Pretender** : I wanted Mordin to be there so bad... So I kind of messed with the plot a little. I really wanted Mordin's famous line to be there. Whenever he says it, I suddenly feel happy, and a little sad. Either way, I felt that Mordin had to be around somewhere. Besides, what would Mass Effect be without our lovable, fast-talking Salarian?

~ **Fulliron** : Thank you so much! Now I can refer to them by name. I researched for about two hours and couldn't find anything. Plus, I was too lazy to set up my Xbox and find it out for myself. That probably would have taken weeks since I'd get into the story again. ^.^'' Thanks! I'll love you forever XD

The Story:

Garrus walked over to the Commander. "Any particular reason you've decided to start choking on air?"

Shepard felt her cheeks warm up a little, and feigned anger to avoid it. "No! I have no idea what you're talking about, Vakarian!"

The Turian laughed happily. "Nice try, Shepard. I know you well enough. What did our old friend say that caused you to almost die from choking on absolutely nothing?"

The, at this point very embarrassed, Commander glared at Garrus. "It wasn't nothing! It was air!" Shepard paused, realizing how stupid that sounded. She raised her hands in exasperation. "And nothing important!" Shepard ran towards the group before Garrus could ask any more questions.

Tali gave the Commander the biggest hug she could muster. "I'm glad you're back in the world, Shepard. It wouldn't be the same without you. I was worried you were going to bite that Bosh'tet Councilor Sparatus' head off! Though, I probably would have done the same thing."

Shepard laughed. "I almost did. If Garrus' hadn't come I probably would have. Though he might've too."

The Turian in question stepped up behind Shepard. "I'm hurt," he said in feigned pain. "I'd never do something like that." He paused before looking at the group, his mandible raised in a grin. "In public."

The Commander laughed again. After a moment, an idea hit her. "Why don't we celebrate?"

The crew looked at her in mock surprise. "Celebrate?"

Shepard nodded at her crew. "I say we all go down to Purgatory and relax a little. Who's with me?"

Almost all of the crew cheered, following their overly happy Commander to the elevator.

~ Break ~

Shepard had decided to take the last elevator down. The doors seemed to take forever to open, and for a woman who had died twice, forever is a lot longer than normal. 'I'm going out into the open for the first time. These are actual people! I've been gone for three years. Oh, gods... What the hell was I thinking? I can still go back right? There's still time!"

Garrus noticed Shepard wringing her hands and started laughing. Liara followed his gaze and covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Kaidan sighed. 'You know, I'm pretty sure laughing at her isn't going to help. What is she even worrying so much about anyway?'

The second human Spectre rallied up his courage and put a reassuring hand on his old Commander's shoulder. "You're going to be fine, Shepard. You've done so much for them, you have to reason to worry."

Shepard took a deep breath before turning her head and smiling. "Thanks, Kaidan."

Kaidan smiled back. 'One step at a time, right?' Needless to say, the Turian eyes currently digging holes in the back of his skull didn't really offer confidence.

The doors finally opened and Shepard found herself laughing. Many patrons were staring at the odd group waiting for Shepard to arrive. A few humans, a Quarian, a Krogan, a Prothean, and an AI? Nah. No big deal. Besides, throwing a couple more humans, a Turian, and an Asari shouldn't make things any weirder. Right?

'Okay. All we need to do is get into Purgatory without anyone realizing who I am. Then we can-'

"Shepard! Hurry up or I'll drag you out here!"

'Thank you, Grunt.' Even Shepard's inner voice sounded a little pissed.

Slowly, the galaxy's hero stepped out of the elevator. By now, everyone's eyes had switched to her. The patrons began whispering to each other, probably trying to figure out if she was the actual Shepard. Seeing her apprehension, the group surrounded her, forcing their hero into the bar.

~ Break ~

"_Oh come on, Kaidan! There's no way that actually happened!"_

_Shepard smiled at her boyfriend, her eyes bright. Kaidan had been telling a home story of how he managed to almost burn down his house._

_Kaidan laughed. "It did! I didn't realize at the time that fire was dangerous. I just thought that it looked cool. I wanted to see what the house would look like if I painted it with fire. My mom wasn't impressed with my attempt at remodeling."_

_The Commander laughed, taking a sip from the wine glass in front of her. "I can imagine. Just remind me to not hire you to repaint the Normandy."_

_Kaidan put his arm around the Commander's shoulder. "I swear I won't burn the Normandy down, Shepard." He leaned over, placing a kiss on her cheek._

_Shepard smiled, leaning onto Kaidan's shoulder. "I'll hold you to it, Alenko." She took another sip of her wine, setting it back down on the table._

_Kaidan sat calmly in the comfortable silence. It wasn't often that his Commanding Officer could relax, so he relished in how she looked when she did. A soft snort interrupted Kaidan's thought process. The lieutenant glanced down at his girlfriend._

_'She's so beautiful when she sleeps. I wish she could always look this peaceful.'_

_Kaidan slowly moved Shepard into an upward position. The lieutenant carefully picked up the wine glasses, washing them in the bathroom._

_'I hope I didn't wake her up.'_

_Kaidan returned to the actual room to see his girlfriend spread out on the couch. He chuckled, walking over to her. Carefully, the lieutenant put one arm under her knees and his other behind her back._

"_Let's get you to bed, Commander. You've been working too hard."_

_Setting Shepard on the bed, he placed a kiss on her forehead before heading out the the door to return to his room._

~ Break ~

Shepard shook her head, taking a gulp of her drink. 'Why the hell did I think of that?' She sighed, looking back up at her crew. As of now, everyone was dancing away to their hearts content. Shepard had slipped away after a little while. She was tired, all of these memories that were flooding back to her were _not _helping.

"Hey, Shepard. You alright? You look a little pale."

'Speak of the devil.' Shepard turned to look at the Spectre surrounded by an almost unnoticeable blue aura. "Hey, Kaidan. Yeah. I'm just a little tired."

Kaidan nodded, his mind on a few other things. One of these being that he had probably had a little too much to drink. "I know the feeling." The major took a deep breath. "I had a question for you."

Shepard felt her breath catch for a moment. 'Oh crap. Please don't let him ask what I think he's going to ask!'

"How long have you been with Garrus?"

'Shit. Please someone... Kill me for the third time!' Shepard sighed, looking up at Kaidan. "Do you actually want to know, or are you drunk?"

The lieutenant leaned on the bar next to his commander officer. "A little of both maybe?"

Shepard sighed. "Listen Kaidan, I'd be willing to bet that you talked at least to Liara and Joker. So you know the answer. Why are you asking me? Do you just need to hear it from me?"

Kaidan nodded slowly.

The Commander took a deep breath. "Okay. Let me tell you. After the incident on Horizon, I was a wreck. When I saw you again, I was happy. For a moment. Once you voiced your mind, I wanted to die again. Even though being spaced was extremely painful, I didn't think it could've been more painful then how I was feeling right then. Garrus made me feel better Kaidan. I'm sor-."

A beeping sound made them both jump. Shepard sighed, sticking an earpiece in her ear. "Commander Shepard here. What do you need?"

"_Sorry to bother you so soon, Commander, but I need your help. It's Hackett."_

Shepard sighed. "Not a surprise." Kaidan tapped her shoulder. "One second, Kaidan!"

Hackett chuckled from the other end of the line. _"We have received information that one of your old crew mates is being held captive by some of the few Cerberus troops left."_

Shepard stepped away from her, worry etched on her face. "Who is it, Admiral?"

"_Another one of your old squad went to help due to the fact she was kidnapped from their planet."_

"Tell me, Admiral!"

Some of the crew began to notice Shepard's distress, walking towards the end of the dance floor. Kaidan stepped forward, worry etched on his face.

"_Initially, a woman named Jack was kidnapped during a visit to Tuchanka. A group led by Urdnot Wrex went in to save her, but only Wrex remained. He was captured as well."_

Shepard's hand went to her mouth. "Oh, gods."

"Commander! What's wrong? You look pale."

Shepard could hear Kaidan's voice, but she wasn't actually comprehending what he was saying. The rest of the crew made their way down.

"Kaidan? What's going on?"

Kaidan shrugged at Liara. "I don't know. She's talking to Hackett."

"_I have a few people who've worked with you before as well as a few others already prepping the Normandy. We only found out recently, and we are led to believe there isn't much time left for them. They could be dead within a few days. Now or never, Commander."_

Shepard clenched her teeth. "On my way, Admiral." The Commander's eyes began to feel hot. If she didn't hurry... 'Jack and Wrex could both die because of me.' The Commander took off as fast as her legs could carry her, leaving a very confused crew behind her.

Garrus looked at Kaidan. "Any idea what she was talking about?"

Kaidan shrugged. "She kept trying to get the Admiral to tell her 'who' he was talking about."

Javik sighed. "The Commander was stressed. Should we not follow her?"

~ Break ~

"Traynor?"

The familiar face turned around and smiled, her eyes bright. "Glad to be back, Commander. Is there anything you need?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Shepard's face. "How much longer until we're ready to head out?"

"We're about twenty minutes and a pilot away from taking off."

Shepard nodded. 'What if that isn't fast enough? What if it's my fault Wrex and Jack die?' The hero sighed inwardly. "Traynor? Make sure the crew gets here immediately. Send them to their posts and take off as soon as possible. Don't tell them where I am, but I'll be in the armory if you need me."

"Sure thing, Commander."


	7. The First Mission

Chapter 7

**My Comments:**

So... I just wanted to thank everyone again! When I thought of this story, I never imagined it would become this popular. The fact that I made it this far at all is... Well, honestly... A mystery to me ^^' Anyway, I'd like to thank all of my reviewers! Some of you gave compliments that made me so happy, while others gave me criticism that has helped me improve my writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect series. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. I do, however, own this plot.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **M-Angel 05 **: *hugs back* I had to include Mordin! And thanks! I will ;-)

**The Story:**

Shepard looked at all of her armor sets. "Dammit. Which one do I pick?" Behind her, Cortez mumbled to himself, trying to get the shuttle to full-working condition.

'I could pick the Collector armor, but I haven't used it in years. _Literally._ Maybe I should just stick with the N7 armor.'

"Commander? The armor specialist Hackett sent is on her way down."

Shepard sighed, turning around. Looking up at the speaker, Shepard replied, "Okay, Specialist. Thank you."

"And, Commander?"

Shepard cracked her knuckles, leaning against the table. "Yes, Traynor?"

"James Vega is on his way as well. He was sent by Hackett."

Of course he was. "Thanks, Traynor." Shepard sighed. Of course, one of the few people that stayed down in the armory _had _to come back. At second glance, though, Traynor must have kept him at bay for quite a while.

The sound of the elevator interrupted the Commander's thoughts.

"This is where you've been hiding out, Lola?"

Shepard found herself smiling. It wasn't often that Vega made her smile. Usually, Shepard just felt bad for him. His life kind of sucked. So did most of the crew's, now that the thought crossed her mind.

"Your team's been going crazy trying to find you, Lola."

Shepard shrugged, looking around the armory. Cortez was still working on the shuttle, obviously not impressed with Garrus' earlier calibrations. A young man with brown hair was making sure the guns were in working condition. Vega sat a few feet in front her, his arms crossed, the signature smirk on his face. Behind James, a young woman stood, her hands wringing nervously in front of her.

"It was pretty funny watching the Turian around, Commander Shepard."

Shepard took a closer look at the strange girl. She was wearing an outfit similar to Traynor's. A name tag on her breast pocket read 'Jamie'. A toolkit labeled 'Armor' rested easily in her left hand. Long brown hair cascaded down her shoulders.

"I can imagine, um, Jamie."

Jamie smiled, holding out her free hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander Shepard. I was hired to fix everyone's armor. I already fixed up the Turian's. Garrus I think it was."

Shepard shook the stranger's hand. "Yeah. I picked my N7 armor. Thank you, Jamie."

Jamie smiled happily, walking over to the armor.

James looked at his Commander. "Any specific reason you're hiding from the crew? EDI and Traynor kept saying that Cortez wanted space to fix the shuttle."

The Commander laughed. "I guess that works as well as any other excuse."

Looking up from the shuttle, Cortez glared at the duo. "Glad to know you both think so highly of me."

"So, why are you hiding from the group?"

Shepard sighed, leaning against a wall near the soldier's old spot. "Did Hackett tell you why this mission was so important, Vega?"

James followed the Commander. "Nope. Hackett kept quiet. He only mentioned it being urgent."

"Cerberus has two of my old crew mates. Hackett says they might not be kept alive long." Shepard bit her lip, mentally smacking herself. Why had she told Vega? She hadn't even told her own crew yet! Not to mention that depressed feeling clawing its way up to her head. If she didn't hurry, they'd be dead. After everything all three of them had gone through, she couldn't leave them to die.

"That's why you're hiding?"

Shepard nodded, her fists clenching. "A lot of the people up there know the two that are being held captive."

James leaned next to the commander thoughtfully. "Better not be thinking about crying, Lola." Shepard looked at him in surprise. "If you do, you're not the Commander I know. Joker said we're almost there. The Lola I know would go up there ranting up a storm, making everyone want to save those two."

The commander stared at James a few more moments before smiling. "Thanks, Vega. I owe you a drink, alright?"

"I'll hold you to it, Lola." James smiled as his Commander ran off towards the elevator. 'I hope she manages. Something's changed about her. I guess dying twice changes a person.'

~ Break ~

"EDI? What's going on? You haven't even told us where the Commander is!"

Javik chuckled from his spot in the Comm Room door frame. The original group that had been sent to pick up Shepard had been called to the War Room. Near the center, Garrus, Kaidan, Liara, and Miranda were practically having a staring contest. Kaidan was glaring at the ceiling, waiting for EDI to respond. Grunt, Dr. Chakwas, and Tali were standing on the upper platform. Tali and Dr. Chakwas were talking quietly to each other about why Shepard had hidden herself away. Grunt stared at one of the computers, apparently arguing with it.

Garrus raised his head, obviously hearing Javik. "What's so funny, Javik?"

Javik smirked. "The Commander has been on the lowest deck this entire time."

All voices in the room stopped, all heads turning towards the Prothean. All of the males in the room looked a little peeved. Of course, Grunt always looked pissed.

Liara took a step towards him. "How long have you known?"

Javik leaned against the door frame, shaking his head. "Since I entered the ship. It became apparent that this is the real reason we were banned."

Grunt started laughing. "Never thought you'd be one to manage to piss those two off more that each other!" A Krogan finger pointed at Garrus and Kaidan.

Kaidan and Garrus began to glare at Javik. Both hands and talons were clenched.

"I see all of you are as happy as ever."

Everyone in the room, besides the Prothean, jumped and turned towards the open door. A straight-faced Shepard stood calmly, one of her hands clenched tightly.

Javik tilted his head curiously, his eyes scanning the Commander. "You are distressed and your hand appears to be releasing blood."

Shepard's hand immediately unclenched. Raising her hand to her face, she saw the places her nails had cut through her skin. "Huh. I guess it is." She shrugged heading towards the center console, her arm lowering.

Garrus and Kaidan looked at each other worriedly. 'What's wrong with Shepard?' was the thought conveyed by their look.

The Commander took a deep breath. "Alright everyone. I need you to listen up. This mission is coming up on us pretty fast, and everyone is going to have a job."

Tali walked carefully down the steps, standing next to Shepard. "What exactly is our mission?"

"Five days ago on Tuchanka, Jack was taken by a pocket of Cerberus troopers." Shepard waited for that to sink in before continuing. "Wrex led a group to try and get her back, but he was captured and the rest of his group executed."

Grunt jumped over the railing, landing in between Kaidan and Garrus. "Wrex got captured? That's impossible!"

Shepard shook her head. "According to Hackett, those two are likely to have less than a day left. So listen up! Kaidan, Javik, and Dr. Chakwas? I need you three to be prepared to treat both of them."

Kaidan raised his hands. "Wait a second. Why do you need all three of us?"

"Honestly, I figured Dr. Chakwas might want help with a pissed of Krogan and Biotic."

Kaidan lowered his hand. "Okay. I see your point."

"Miranda, Liara, and Grunt? You three will be holding the landing zone for the infiltration team."

Grunt raised his gun. "Yeah! Let's kick some ass!"

Shepard smiled a little. "Garrus and Tali? You two are with me for the infiltration team. I'm going to go get my armor. Everyone, I need you at top performance. No room for error." The Commander turned, her usual self starting to shine through as she headed back towards the armory.

~ Break ~

Shepard looked at herself in the mirror. "I don't think I can say how much happier I am in armor enough."

James laughed. "I think I prefer you in armor, Lola."

"Thanks for offering to keep an eye on the new recruits, Vega."

James shrugged. "Can't do with someone taking over your ship, can we, Lola?"

The Commander laughed. "After this is over, we'll go back to the Citadel and I'll get you that drink."

"I'm holding you to it, Lola! Just, make sure you get back alright, huh? I'm not dealing with another depressed Garrus. Or Major Alenko for that matter."

Shepard smiled, heading towards the elevator. "Don't worry, Vega. I don't feel like dying for a third time."

~ Break ~

Shepard ran up behind cover. "I'm clear. What about you two?"

Garrus' voice sounded in the earpiece. _"Clear on my end, Shepard."_

"_Clear, Shepard," _came Tali's calming voice.

Shepard nodded to herself. "Okay. Head to the rendezvous."

Carefully, the hero slowly slipped her way from cover to cover. "Wait. I see two Cerberus troops at the rendezvous point."

"_Affirmative. I see them, Shepard."_

"_Shepard? I can't see them from where I am."_

"I hear you, Tali. Garrus? Let's get'm both." Shepard carefully put her Paladin back on her hip, drawing her Widow. "We'll need to time this just right. It looks like they're by some control panels."

'If we don't they're probably dead.' The Commander shook her head. 'Focus, Shepard! Focus, dammit!'

Shepard studied the area where the troops were standing. From what she could tell, she was in the main passage that led to the main control room. Tali and Garrus were in two smaller passages that Shepard couldn't see from her position. The controls were in a horseshoe, leaving Shepard in the passage that led into the opening.

"_Shepard? I've got the one farthest from you in my sights. Ready?"_

'Oh yeah. I was about to shoot someone.' Shepard carefully aimed the Widow. 'Hm? There's a fourth passage. I think is says 'Cells'. Well. That's convenient.'

"I see a doorway past them. I think Wrex and Jack are there." Shepard took a deep breath. "Take the shot."

Right as one man fell down, Shepard took the shot. She watched as he fell on top of his companion.

"_It's clear, Shepard."_

"Thanks, Tali. Move up!"

Shepard came out of cover, running forward to the control panel. Garrus and Tali ran up behind her.

"You two? I need you to scout out the 'Cells' hallway. I need to be sure if Jack and Wrex are there."

Garrus nodded. "We'll be right back. Let's go, Tali."

Taking one last glance at Shepard, Tali reluctantly followed her Turian companion. "Garrus? I have a bad feeling about this."

The former mercenary sighed. "So do I, but I don't think going against Shepard's order will make things any better."

~ Break ~

"How are you two doing?"

"_We're almost there, Shepard, but we haven't met any resistance," _Garrus spoke with a tinge of worry.

"Calm down, Vakarian. I'll be here when you get back." Shepard managed to sound confident. Honestly, Cerberus would probably realize something was wrong. "I'm still downloading data."

"_We're here, Shepard." _Tali paused. _"I see them both!"_

Sighing, Shepard leaned against the console. "Phew." Still, the sense of anxiousness hadn't quite left her yet.

"_They're safe, Shep-," _Garrus started.

Cutting in, Jack yelled into Garrus' mic, _"It's a trap you dumbasses! Cerberus will be closing in on the main console any minute now! They plan to kill you for sure, Shepard!"_

Shepard froze, her mouth gaping and eyes blank. "W-what?"

Garrus' voice stopped any thoughts from anyone. _"Move out! Double-time it to the main console! We've got to back-up Shepard!"_

Shepard felt a shot graze her arm. "Shit!" Ducking under cover, Shepard checked her shield generator. "What the?"

"_Shepard! What's your status?"_

The Commander stared at the blood on her arm. "Shit shit shit!"

"_C'mon Princess!"_

"I hear you Jack. The new armor technician..." Shepard drew her Paladin, blowing one of the Cerberus troopers' head off. "She tampered with my shields. They aren't working!"

"_We're almost there, Shepard!"_

Shepard sighed, noticing the state of what she was hiding behind. It would blow any minute now. "I have to move positions! Hurry those asses up!"

"_Thirty seconds, Commander!"_

The Commander shook her head. "No time. I'll have to jump over to the other side." Shepard glanced at the other side of the horseshoe. One clean jump and she'd be fine.

"Shepard!"

Shepard took her chances, waiting for a break in fire. 'Now or never, you so-called hero.' Shepard stood, expecting the enemy to be reloading.

"We got her! Everyone! Open fire!"

The Commander turned around just in time to watch about eight Cerberus troopers open fire.

"Shepard!" Garrus' voice barely registered as she fell to the ground. "No!"

"Dammit, Princess! We were right there!" Jack allowed her biotics to flare up to full strength, taking out half of them in a single blow.

Wrex charged forward, practically tackling two of them.

Running up to Shepard, Tali looked her over. "Garrus! We need to get her back to the ship. Now!"

Garrus slowly nodded, picking his girlfriend up. 'Shepard... Why couldn't you just wait for us?"


	8. Saving the Heroine

Chapter 8

**My Comments:**

Woo! Another chapter! Sorry if I'm not pumping them out fast enough guys. I keep thinking about whether or not my writing is good enough for you... So I spend an hour per sentence pretty much ^^' I'll keep at it though! No doubt! Plus, I only write well when I'm exhausted... Yay late nights! I'm also thinking about doing flashbacks in the perspective of a certain character. What do you think? (I mean this by saying 'I', 'Us', and other variations in place of a character's name.)

Whoa... I was getting emotional while writing this one :- |

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect series. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. I do, however, own this plot.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **The Invisible Pretender **: I'm trying to make Shepard lean towards the Paragon side. I'm also trying to combine both the recklessness of _the _Commander Shepard while still adding a bit of hesitation from.. you know... dying twice... ^^ And we can only hope that Jack waits a little bit. Smacking Shepard around with those bullet wounds might not be a good idea.

**The Story:**

"_Kaidan! Javik! Chakwas! Get the Med-bay ready right now!"_

_Kaidan jumped at the sudden command from Garrus. They hadn't checked in for ten minutes. "What's the condition of Jack and Wrex?"_

_Behind Garrus, Jack practically barked into her Omni Tool. "Wrex and I are fine, pretty boy. Shepard's been hurt real bad."_

_Kaidan felt his throat clench. Everyone on the team froze. "H-how did it happen?"_

_The soft voice of their resident Quarian calmed everyone a little bit. "The armor worker, Jamie. She messed with Shepard's armor. Sabotage." The words began to come in between breaths. "Warn James. He's. Prepared."_

_Liara's voice interrupted the crew. "I see them! Grunt? They look exhausted. Can you take Shepard to the Med-bay?"_

_A familiar sounding war cry vibrated the hull of the Normandy._

~ Break ~

"Garrus!"

"Ah!" Garrus looked away from the window, spotting a slightly annoyed-looking blue-skinned Asari. "Oh. It's just you, Liara."

Liara sighed, walking over to him. "Get some rest. They said that no one can see her until all the major surgeries are finished. Don't you want to be there when she comes out?"

The Turian sighed, feeling twenty years older than he actually was. He looked around the Huerta waiting room. Most of the crew was on Normandy, waiting anxiously for news. Kaidan was still arguing with the lady at the front desk, trying to use his Spectre status to get an update. Reporters dotted the room, waiting to get a closer look at anyone who might know Shepard. Kaidan had managed to keep his voice down and had switched the topic of discussion whenever one got near. Luckily, no one recognized them as having a current connection to Shepard. Wouldn't be long until they tried to find out anything about how she'd woken up.

Inside of Shepard's room, the only people were Dr. Michel, Dr. Chakwas, and Miranda. The last only because of the implants that needed extensive repair work.

"I do, but I don't want to risk not being here."

"Is getting swarmed by reporters really the best way to help right now?"

The scarred Turian raised his head. "Well, no, but-."

Liara sighed in annoyance. Why were Turians so damn stubborn? "Go, Vakarian. Dr. Chakwas will tell us when Shepard is out." The Asari walked off, evidently to convince Kaidan to return as well.

Garrus turned back to the window, feeling his eyes start to close. 'I'm sure this isn't what she meant, but...'

~ Break ~

"_Javik?"_

"_Yes, human doctor?"_

"_Please get everyone out of here! I need space!"_

_Javik nodded calmly. "If you wish." Secretly, the usually emotionless Prothean was anxious, worried. If it hadn't been for Shepard, he never would have been able to get revenge on the Reapers. She had done so much for him. The least he could do was help in any way he could. "Everyone out." Anyone who protested immediately got his signature four-eyed glare. Simply put, it was much more terrifying than a two-eyed one._

_Dr. Chakwas sighed in exasperation. "I hope that little Cerberus brat, Jamie, rots in prison!"_

_Miranda looked up in surprise from her work on the implants. "Karin?"_

_Dr. Chakwas managed a smile. "Sorry. This is just the worst I've seen the Commander. I can't imagine it was painless either."_

_Javik leaned against the now locked door, waiting in case he would be needed again. He shot his gaze to the windows. A little ways away, the crew stood, trying to get a good look. 'Persistent bunch.' Javik darkened the windows so the two working on Shepard wouldn't have a distraction. 'Live, Commander. You have done too much to die now.'_

~ Break ~

Liara sighed as she looked at Garrus' sleeping form. 'He's worn himself out worrying for her. I can't blame him. I wish I could wear myself out like that. Sleeping would be better than waiting.' The blue-skinned Asari continued to pace in front of the door. Most of the doctors at Huerta were Asari, so she managed to blend in. Perhaps she could use her influence to get in...

A newscaster interrupted the Shadow Broker's thoughts. "We have reports that a Reaper ship recently dropped off a small metallic container near Docking Bay D-24. It is unknown at this time what exactly was in this container, but the contents appear to be heading to this exact hospital, Huerta Memorial."

Liara ran over to Garrus, one thought running through her head. 'Oh god. The Reaper's are getting involved!' The Asari shook the Turian quickly and completely ungracefully. "Garrus!"

Garrus shook his head, trying to clear his muddled dreams. "What, Liara? Is Shepard out?"

Next to Garrus, Kaidan awoke with a start. His gaze flicked around before glaring at Liara.

Liara's voice lowered so much that even Garrus and Kaidan could barely hear it. "That Reapers are getting involved!"

As if to prove the Asari's point, the elevator door opened. A collective gasp rose from everyone as the group stepped out. Javik was first, obviously leading the group to where they needed to go. An AI resembling a female human, Monarch, followed Javik. She gestured to the others in the elevator with one hand, the other carrying a small metallic briefcase. A robotic Turian male came next, Harbinger. Two more unknown AI's followed; a male Salarian and Asari.

Javik gestured to the trio, suggesting they follow them as well. All of the AI's, besides Monarch, bowed politely. The newscasters stared blankly at the sight before them.

Monarch smiled. "Hello, Mistress Liara. Master Kaidan. Master Garrus. Do you wish to come with us to help Commander Shepard?"

The three nodded slowly.

"Then please come. We hope we are not to late." Monarch gestured for Javik to continue walking.

~ Break ~

_Garrus watched quietly as James and Bailey led the ranting Jamie away._

"_She deserves to die! All of you do! You aliens are nothing! Humans should be the best!" Jamie's gaze fell on Garrus. "You disgrace our race. You disgraced our hero by even being with her! We must purify our hero! She will die for what she has done!" Jamie lowered her voice. "She will die, Turian. Cerberus will stop at nothing to make sure she dies a horrid and painful death. Next time, we won't fail. The great Commander Shepard will fall, Vakarian." Jamie smiled, as if she was the luckiest human in the galaxy. "And you will watch."_

_Garrus stared blankly at the door Jamie had just been forced through. Behind him, a good portion of the Normandy crew stood. Liara had locked herself away in her room, trying to find other Cerberus operatives and spies. Javik was pacing in his room, his mind obviously focused on the Commander's emotions, since they were linked and all. Dr. Chakwas and Miranda had run off with Shepard and the other doctors. EDI and Joker remained on board, mostly because Joker was a wreck. Wrex had gone down to Purgatory with Grunt. All hopes were that they decided to not start a fight. Jack had locked herself down in Engineering, obviously pissed that she couldn't do more. The rest of the crew stood silently, secretly wishing in all their hearts – even Tali was angry enough to feel this – that Jamie was tortured to get any and all information._

_Garrus started walking towards the elevator. Kaidan joined him silently. There was an understanding between them; 'We can't fight like this. Neither of us is up to it and we need to be there for Shepard.'_

~ Break ~

Miranda jumped at the sound of the door opening. "Hey! That was encrypt- Monarch?"

Monarch smiled. "Hello, Mistress Miranda. I have brought something that should help Commander Shepard." Without even asking permission, Monarch stepped forward, setting the container on a counter. Inside, a large syringe with some sort of silvery material inside sat nestled in foam. "Hm. Harbinger? Is Subject ready?"

The AI in question stepped forward, his mandibles flaring unhappily at the sight of Shepard. He scanned once. "Yes. Any longer and might not make it."

Dr. Michel looked ready to protest, but Chakwas put a hand on her shoulder.

Carefully grabbing the syringe, Monarch walked over to Commander Shepard. "Injecting." All of the organics in the room twitched at the sight of Monarch injecting the unknown fluid into their beloved Commander.

"Should she be alright now, AI?"

Monarch turned to Javik, nodding. "Yes. She will still be in a comatose state for several days while healing. Then she shall be fine." Monarch placed the syringe back into the case, closing it. "We shall return now. Harbinger? Call your Reaper form to come pick us up. Javik?"

"I shall lead, Monarch," Javik spoke with a twinge of anger, obviously not happy with helping the Reapers. Javik left the room, leading the AI's with him.

Miranda gasped. "Her readings! They're stabilizing!"

Garrus felt himself smiling. 'That's my Shepard. Always pulling through at the last minute.'

~ Break ~

~.~ One Week Later ~.~

Garrus slowly stood up. Visiting hours were over. "Goodbye, Shepard. Wake up soon. The Normandy is going in for an inspection, and we're all going to be there in order to protect her. Be safe tomorrow. See you in two days."

Garrus slowly walked out of the room, his sigh of sadness heard throughout the clinic.

~ Break ~

~ One Hour Later ~

'My eyes. They're burning. Gods... Why does this happen so damn often?!'

Shepard slowly opened her eyes. A young Asari was looking at Shepard's chart on her Omni Tool. "Hm. Still comatose, huh?"

"Who are you?" the Commander's voice was rough, her throat burning from lack of water.

The Asari jumped. "Shepard! You're awake!" She ran to get a cup of water. When she returned, the young Asari put the bed into a sitting position. "There you go, Commander. Glad to see you're awake. I'm Natalla."

Shepard gladly gulped down the water. "Thank you," she said, her voice already sounding better. "So, when do I get to leave?"

Natalla smiled. "If you weren't still sleeping, you could've left today with that cute Turian." Natalla winked jokingly. "Anyway, you're completely fine so you can be released tomorrow. Should I contact someone you know to pick you up?"

The Commander shook her head. "No thank you. I'll want some time to myself."

Natalla nodded. "Alright. I'll set it up so the doctor can sign it in the morning. I know you just got up, but try to get some sleep. You're physically fine, but exhausted."

Shepard yawned, leaning into her pillow. "No problem with that."

~ Break ~

"And that's it! You're free to go, Commander Shepard. Are you sure you don't need any assistance? It has been a week since you've moved."

Shepard smiled. "No, I'll be fine. Thank you." Shepard slowly walked to the elevator, a smile on her face.

For once in her life, Shepard felt completely content. Her legs were a little sore, but otherwise she was fine. Shepard was allowed to wander the Citadel without being asked how close they were to stopping the Reapers, or stopping a coup, or even having a meeting to decide her fate. The Commander was able to explore without the fate of humanity and the galaxy over her shoulder. Honestly, that feeling was great. Rare, yet great.

The elevator door slid open. "Arriving at the Presidium."

Shepard smiled at the sound of the AI. 'Ah. Normalcy.'

Shepard wandered aimlessly around the Presidium, attempting to avoid being seen.

~ Break ~

~ Two Hours Later ~

'I need to lay down. My legs are killing me!' Shepard leaned against a wall near the apartments. "Ugh. I didn't realize this would be so tiring."

A soft voice interrupted Shepard. "Um, excuse me, miss. Are you alright?"

Shepard jumped, turning to a smiling blue-skinned Asari. "Oh, um, yeah. I'm just really tired."

The Asari tilted her head. "You look a little pale. Are you sure you're fine?"

The Commander nodded. "Yeah. I just got out of the hospital earlier, so I'm tired."

"Oh! You must be Commander Shepard!" The Asari clapped her hands. "I've got an idea! My apartment is right over there. Why don't you come rest." When Shepard raised her hands in denial, the Asari shook her head. "You can't very well stay here. Give it a few minutes and someone will call a newscaster. It's safer up there."

Shepard sighed. "I guess you're right. Do you mind if I ask your name?"

The Asari smiled wider, getting under one of Shepard's arms to lend a hand. "Of course. I should have introduced myself before. My name is Soraleigh. It's nice to meet you, Commander."

~ Break ~

Garrus sighed, leaning back in his chair. "At least it went faster than expected, hm?"

Liara nodded in agreement, sitting across from her Turian friend. She looked around the mess hall. It was just after lunch, so most of the crew had gone back to work. Herself, Garrus, Kaidan, and Javik were still loitering about. The inspectors had left, giving the Normandy and 'OK' to continue business.

Garrus turned his Omni Tool back on. "Huh? I have a message." Spotting the sender, Garrus shot up, almost knocking his chair over. "It's from Natalla!"

Both Kaidan and Liara's gaze shot over to Garrus. All three had met the nurse on several occasions. She had been set to Shepard, not allowed to take care of anyone else to make sure the 'hero' would heal properly.

Javik glanced among the group. His chest felt odd. About an hour ago, he had felt the Commander feel completely at ease. It was obvious she had woken up, but the crew was focused on the inspection, so he had decided it would be best to leave that fact for later. However, the Commander was getting extremely tired. Something was wrong. His own nerves were going haywire. Javik had always known when the Commander is in trouble, and now was no exception.

"Are you going to read it, Turian?"

Garrus glanced up in surprise at the edge in Javik's voice. "Sure."

"_Hello Garrus Vakarian and Normandy Crew! I just thought you'd like to know that Shepard woke up late yesterday! About an hour after visiting hours ended I believe. I was going to send you a message, but I left the number at the clinic. Whoops! Anyway, the doctor gave her a clean bill of health and she was discharged this morning. By now, she's probably exhausted and taking a break somewhere. You know, the whole not walking for a week an all. Oh jeez. I'm getting off track again. So, Commander Shepard isn't at the clinic anymore. It was nice knowing all of you! Good luck in whatever you do! ~ Natalla."_

Javik nodded to himself. That explains why she was at ease. She wasn't locked up anymore. However, the fact that her own nerves were now going haywire didn't put his mind at ease.

"We should be going."

Liara looked at Javik in surprise. "Javik? What's wrong?"

"I appear to be," the usually emotionless Prothean paused. "Worried."

This one word caught the entire group's attention.

"I thought you didn't get worried," Garrus argued, carefully glancing at the Prothean.

"I do not." Javik stared at Garrus as if the notion of him worrying over a primitive was ridiculous. "Not often. However, something appears to be wrong. I may be able to track the Commander if we hurry."

~ Break ~

Soraleigh brought the Commander a glass of water, sitting next to her on the couch. "Here you go, Miss Shepard."

Shepard smiled, happily accepting the water. "No need for formalities, Soraleigh." She looked around the apartment. It was pretty barren. Of course, most of the apartments anywhere were because of the war. It had become increasingly difficult to get anything at a good price. The couch was simple mahogany sectional with white pillows and seats. A mahogany coffee table with a glass surface sat snugly in front of it, matching nicely. A white rug held everything.

"Sorry about the room. I know it's not much, but it's what I've got."

Shepard chuckled, setting the plastic cup on the table. She turned to Soraleigh, bending one of her legs and laying it on the couch in front of her. "No problem at all. I owe you for lending me a hand."

Soraleigh smiled, thought her smile suggested a little more than friendliness. "I think I know how you can repay me."

Shepard's smile completely faded, the back of her mind screaming for her to make a run for it. "Oh, um." She couldn't find her words, merely opting to start backing away instead.

Soraleigh's eyes turned black. "Why don't you come a little closer, Shepard?" She carefully accentuated her target's name.

Slowly, the Commander's willpower began to drain. "W-what... Are you?"

The black-eyed Asari started to move towards Shepard, speaking slowly and deliberately. "My bosses really want you. They said if I promise to only kill who they want me to, then I won't become a slave like the other aliens."

"C-Cerberus..."

Soraleigh smiled. "How'd you know, Commander?"

~ Break ~

"Have you seen Commander Shepard?"

The Turian tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, yes. I believe it was her." Kaidan immediately brightened. "An Asari was helping her walk."

A nearby Asari perked up, walking over. She was wearing a red suit with a few red pieces on her forehead. "Did it seem like she was targeting Shepard?"

The Turian shrugged. "She'd been standing there for an hour. I guess it's possible. Shepard excepted the help, so I assume she knew her." A beep interrupted him. "I've got to go. Duty calls."

Kaidan glanced at the new Asari. "Who are you exactly?"

Garrus chuckled, walking up behind Kaidan. "Samara! I haven't seen you in quite a while. After the suicide mission I believe."

Samara nodded. "Yes. I believe you were on a off-time when Shepard assisted me."

Liara and Javik joined the group, though Javik was the only to speak. "Something is happening to Shepard. She appears to be getting weaker."

The Justicar shook her head. "We must find her. The Asari she is likely with is a Cerberus agent. They took her from the Monastery."

Liara's eyes widened, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh goddess. Shepard's with an Ardat-Yakshi?"

Javik scoffed. "What is the problem? Should we not be worried that this Asari is with Cerberus?"

Garrus shook his head quickly, answering both Kaidan and Javik's curious faces. "An Ardat-Yakshi is much more dangerous than a regular Asari. They, uh-."

Luckily for the Turian, Samara took over. She shortened her explanation, even simplifying it a little not wanting to waste time. "Ardat-Yakshi can practically take over their subject's mind. Once they finish with mating with their subject, the subject dies."

Kaidan's eyes widened, the thought of this strange Asari taking advantage of Shepard pissing him off.

Samara looked towards the apartments. "We should hurry."

Javik stepped forward. "I may be able to assist. I believe I know which room Shepard may be in. Though it appears she is not conscious anymore." Whether that meant she was dead or sleeping, the Prothean was unsure. Seeing worry spread across everyone's faces, Javik started walking towards the apartments. He closed his eyes, trying to sense Shepard and following her emotions.

'Her willpower is gone. I cannot be positive if this is all that is wrong with her. Hm.'

Javik stopped in front of a door. "Here." He opened it without hesitation.

Soraleigh was sitting on the end of her sectional, a smirk on her lips. "Oh look. The cavalry has arrived."

The rest of the group piled in behind Javik, their eyes widening in horror. Shepard was laid across the couch, her head in Soraleigh's lap. Her body was still, eyes closed.


	9. Memories and an Old Acquaintance

Chapter 9

**My Comments:**

So... I'm still hard at work. Sorry this one took longer than usual. I went over to my friends house and played my Ocarina for her. Goddess I love that ocarina. Anyway, thanks for all the support everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect series. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. I do, however, own this plot.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **NeedsANewUserName **: I... appreciate it? One of my main problems (and one that many of the authors on this site likely have) is that I am the only one to go over my chapters. Therefore, I read them the way I want them to be read. My _brain_ interprets it as I thought I had written it. If I had an editor for my work than I am sure it would turn out with a great deal less errors. I tend to write these and publish them in one day (sometimes less). I'm sorry if you are disappointed in my grammatical errors, but I cannot rewire my own brain. On the note of my fact checking, I have an extremely bad memory. Heck, I can barely remember some of the main character's names. I look things up often. Sometimes, I forget where to check things, or _how. _I even sometimes forget that there is a 'history' tab so I could just go there. Jeezum, I even have to reread my story after I publish it because I _forgot what happened_. In my own story... That's just depressing. Sadly, this bad memory effects many other things in my own life (such as how I often ask the same question three times without realizing it). So, I apologize greatly and hope that you aren't reading this as though I am speaking sarcastically. I do try and I _have_ been thinking about finding someone to edit my work for me. For now, I am writing on my own while my brother constantly tells me how stupid "Fan-Fics" are. I just moved for the second time within a period of two years. If my life were easier, then maybe these would be coming out better. For now, however, I ask that you politely realize that these are my only source of escape in my life (aside from my books that are saved on another computer I don't currently have access to). I apologize to you and all of my readers if this is sometimes difficult to read or just plain awful in some parts. Maybe one day I'll get better. For now, I'm still getting used to writing with characters that aren't from my own messed-up imagination. Again, I am sorry if that sounded curt, sarcastic, or offensive; I didn't mean it to.

~ **Alexandria McLane** : Thanks a lot. That makes me feel quite a deal better. Thank you very much! ^.^ And Mordin has got be around. He is my favorite Salarian. As I've stated previously, what would Mass Effect be without our lovable fast-talking Salarian? :-D

~ **Sarah** : I absolutely _wish _I could've been on the Bioware team! I would die from happiness ^.^ And I'm glad that my writing affected you... Just um... Try not to die on me, alright? And I promise to write more! I mean, I did write this chapter, right? ;-)

**The Story** :

Javik tilted his head thoughtfully. Something wasn't right. Shepard's thoughts weren't stalled or completely stopped; they were muddled together. It was as if she needed someone to clear out her thoughts for her. It was quite possible the Commander wasn't dead.

Liara felt warm tears began to slide down her cheeks. "We were too late. She got to her. S-Shepard!" The young Asari's hands covered her face, her own shoulders shaking visibly from sobbing.

Samara was emotionless on the outside. On the inside however, the Justicar was seething, preparing to use her Biotics to launch this Ardat-Yakshi into the wall.

Kaidan felt his Biotics immediately flare up, his body surrounded by a shining blue light. "You son of a bitch!"

Garrus was at a loss for words. They had just saved her. _Twice._ Now she was dead? Was it his fault? Maybe if he had activated his Omni Tool faster. 'Maybe if I had been with Shepard like I'd sworn to do since she went into that coma.' Garrus felt his breath catch. 'Maybe Shepard would be alive.'

Soraleigh smiled. She slid over, using a pillow to replace her lap for Shepard's head. As she stood up slowly a deliberately, Soraleigh stated, "That is the term correct? Of course, this 'cavalry' is quite late."

Javik shook his head. "You are feeding false information." Liara removed her hands immediately, her gaze centered on the Prothean. The same Prothean who never told a lie. "You are attempting to mislead us. Shepard is not dead."

At this comment, even a look of surprise flashed across Samara's face. "The Ardat-Yakshi did not kill Shepard?"

Javik nodded. "That is correct."

The Ardat-Yakshi glowered at them. "I have a name you know. It's Soraleigh. And how would you even know if she is dead or not? What the hell are you anyway?"

"I am Prothean."

"Of course you are. You're one of the ones my bosses want to dissect. Not that it matters. You're the only one left, right?" Soraleigh sat on the back of the couch behind Shepard, studying her nails. "Well, you are correct, alien. This useless sack of flesh and bones isn't dead." Kaidan looked ready to retort, but she raised her hand. "Useless to you anyway. Shepard belongs to us now. You couldn't get her to listen to you if you tried." Soraleigh drew a M-6 Carnifex, obviously daring them to get close to her.

Garrus finally managed to steady his heart rate and get back to the situation at hand. They needed to get Shepard out of this situation. He carefully studied Soraleigh. 'Alright. She's an Ardat-Yakshi, so she has enhanced Biotic abilities. She also has,' Garrus' thoughts paused and he felt his claws ball up into fists, 'that bitch has _Shepard's _gun. Now's she's going to get it!'

Soraleigh smiled at the group. "The both of us should probably get going." Her gaze flipped to Shepard. "Shepard. Wake up."

~ Break ~

"_Oh come on guys! You know that's not true!" Shepard laughed at Kaidan and Liara, who were telling Javik stories about her._

_Javik leaned against the door, looking slightly annoyed. Kaidan leaned back on the couch, a large smile evident on his face. The resident Asari had her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle more giggles. She stood protectively in between Shepard's hamster and Javik._

_Javik looked at the Commander. "You are lying. They are telling the truth."_

_Liara laughed again. "See, Shepard? There's nothing you can hide from Javik."_

"_No secrets, huh? Alright, so I accidentally let Cinders run around the ship. It was an accident!" Shepard looked sheepishly at the hamster cage sitting on its shelf in her room from her perch on the bed._

"_That rodent has a name?"_

_Kaidan laughed again at seeing Shepard's death glare. "Yes, the 'rodent' has a name. And if you call Cinders a rodent again, I think the Commander might shoot you."_

_Javik looked in confusion at the group. His gaze rested on the Commander, who looked like she was starting to regret not carrying a gun with her. "Why keep a rodent as a pet? It takes up space and eats food. It does nothing else."_

_Shepard stood up, her finger pointed in a threatening gesture at Javik. "Stop calling her a rodent! Her name is Cinders!" Her hands slipped down to her waist, putting them on her own hips in a huffy manor. "And she does have a purpose."_

_Javik tilted his head a little, the Prothean way of raising an eyebrow. "What purpose does she have? Can this 'Cinders' wield a gun and shoot the enemy?"_

"_Well, no but-."_

"_Is she an engineer?"_

"_No, but she-."_

"_Is she a pilot?"_

"_Of course not. She-."_

_By now, both Kaidan and Liara were clutching their stomachs from laughing._

"_Then I see no purpose in keeping the rodent," Javik glared at the hamster in question._

"_Stop interrupting me you damn Prothean!" Javik looked in surprise at Shepard. Even Liara and Kaidan stopped laughing in surprise. "Cinders serves as a moral booster. Look at her!" Cinders stopped running on her wheel for a second to grab a piece of food from her dish and stare at the group, the food pellet still in her hands. "She is simply adorable!"_

_Cinders squeaked once, as if to solidify her case. Liara and Kaidan broke out laughing again. The major looked at his commanding officer._

"_Never thought I'd ever here those words come out of your mouth, Commander."_

_Shepard fell back on the bed. 'C'mon, Shep! Keep the facade up. Need 'em to think you're serious.'_

"_I did not realize this trait of 'adorable' was needed in a war, Commander."_

_Shepard nodded. "Of course it is! I mean, who'd want to shoot at a teddy bear? Other than the Krogan of course."_

_Liara glanced at Shepard, noticing the ruse slip for a moment. 'Maybe it's time for a little Asari intervention.' Liara walked over to Shepard, sitting next to her. "That's a good point, Shepard. Maybe we need to create VI teddy bears that wield guns. Maybe we can stuff them with bombs so the enemy doesn't even know what hit them."_

_One glance at Liara and Shepard couldn't hold it anymore; she broke out laughing. She fell back onto the bed, curling into a ball so she could clutch her sides._

_Javik looked confused again. "How would these 'teddy bears' fight reapers?"_

_The Major glanced at the smiling Liara and laughing Shepard, finally figuring it out. "They played us, Javik. It was a joke."_

_The Prothean looked a little annoyed. "Bah. Primitives." He stormed off, going into the elevator, mumbling about how 'awful primitives were' the entire time._

_Shepard went to speak to her crew, sitting up. When she looked around, there was nothing. "Huh? Guys? Is this some kind of Biotic trick? Very funny. Now stop it."_

_A single Asari appeared in the black space. "Hello Commander. Are you done with your silly dreaming?"_

_Shepard stood, reaching for any sort of weapon. Of course, considering the only things in this endless black was herself and this strangely familiar Asari, she found nothing._

"_What are you talking about? Who the hell are you?"_

_The Asari scoffed, and spoke a single command. "Remember."_

_The memories came rushing back. The last being this Asari, Soraleigh, injecting something into her blood._

"_You! What did you inject into me?" Shepard stepped towards the Asari threateningly, unsure what exactly she was standing on._

"_A simple device. Nothing too extravagant. However, now you must do as I say. Unless you can suddenly fight me, which you are too weak to do. Cerberus wants you dearie, and they will get you." She smiled wide. "Shepard. Wake up."_

~ Break ~

A chill went through the room as the Commander's eyes shot open. "Come over here." The crew took a simultaneous step back as the Commander did as she was asked, if a little sluggishly.

Shepard's eyes were completely blank, as if she was completely unaware of what was going on. Her posture was perfect, almost like she was when she was around Anderson or Hackett. A slight frown was displayed on her face, only aware to those who knew her well enough; Garrus, Kaidan, and Javik. Other than her posture and slight frown, Shepard seemed perfectly relaxed.

Soraleigh held out the M-6. "Take this. I want you to get me out of here safely. Only shoot if you have to."

Shepard tilted her head before nodding, carefully wrapping her fingers around the handle. Once she checked the clip and glanced over the gun, the Commander raised the gun to her former companions.

Javik continued to study the Commander, several possible encounters and solutions bouncing around his head. Even trying as hard he could, Javik couldn't find one successful solution.

Kaidan's Biotics had died down, the blue color fading. What was he supposed to do now? Even as a Council Spectre and Major in the Alliance army, no possible training could have prepared himself for this.

Liara's hands went instinctively to her hip, where her gun waited. She managed to quell her instincts, but only moved one arm back to where it belonged.

Garrus felt his heartbeat elevate again. 'Shit! What the hell are we supposed to do now. Oh spirits, Shepard! Come back to us!'

Convinced they weren't going to move, Shepard started to slowly move forward. One hand ushered the crew to the side, telling them to get out of the way. The group obliged, Javik managing to stay the closest to Shepard.

"Speed up a little, Shepard."

The Commander nodded, moving a little faster.

'Just a little closer, Commander. Just a little, now!'

Javik lunged forward, one of his fingers placed against her forehead. "Shepard. Listen to me."

~ Break ~

"_What am I doing? Stop pointing your gun at them! They're trying to help you dumb ass!"_

_Shepard was only vaguely aware she was looking through her own eyes and yelling at herself._

"_Give it up, Shepard. You don't have control over your mind, I do."_

_Shepard spun on her heels, facing Soraleigh. "You shut up, bitch. Release me now!"_

"_Hah. I couldn't even if I _wanted _to. You have to overcome it your-. What the hell is he doing?"_

_Shepard turned her head at the image. Javik had rushed forward, placing his hand on her forehead, not that she could actually feel it. He muttered something before closing his eyes._

"_Commander. Stop this nonsense."_

_Shepard turned for the third time, spotting Javik. The three of them forming a triangle._

"_J-Javik? What are you doing in my head?"_

_Javik looked around. "It is empty."_

_Soraleigh interrupted before Shepard could give a snide comment in return, "You! Get out of here! You'll mess up all my plans!"_

_Javik glared at Soraleigh. "Do not think that your plans are all that matter. I am quite sure that Commander Shepard has plans of her own. This 'Cerberus' should not interfere with what Shepard wants!"_

_Shepard stared in surprise at Javik. It wasn't like him to show emotion. Especially over her!_

"_Commander," he said lightly, turning to Shepard. "You need to take this head on. Fight whatever this Asari did to you. You are better than her." Javik took a relatively large step forward, ignoring Soraleigh's shriek of anguish as the crew tackled her true form. His mind was entirely focused on Shepard. "You can fight this Shepard. You must return to the Normandy and its crew." Another step forward. "The crew is waiting for you. Liara. Kaidan. Garrus." Another step forward. "Are all waiting for you specifically, Commander. There is no Normandy without you, Shepard." The last step forward. Javik places his hands on Shepard's shoulders. "Shepard? Even I am waiting for you to return. You have taught me much. You gave me a reason to live again, Commander. Fight this! Come back!"_

_Shepard closed her eyes. 'I bet he never would have told me this otherwise. Why is Javik getting so emotional anyway? Though, I guess I did do a lot for him.' Shepard took a deep breath. 'Alright. Fight this Shepard! Fight this stupid things and go home!'_

~ Break ~

Garrus glanced away from Soraleigh, who was currently being squished between the three powerful Biotics and the wall. His gaze rested on Javik and Shepard. By now, the gun had fallen to the floor, but neither had moved. All of the Prothean's eyes were closed.

Liara released her Biotic grip of Soraleigh walking over to Garrus. "Have they moved at all?"

The Turian shook his head with a sad sigh. "No. I'm starting to get worried. What's even going on?"

The sudden opening of Javik's eyes interrupted Liara and Garrus. Javik released Shepard from his hold, his eyes carefully scanning her to see if she did manage to break out of it.

Shepard slowly opened her eyes, looking up in Javik's. 'I-I'm free. Javik saved me. Oh god, Shepard. Do NOT cry! Do not- Oh shit.' Shepard lunged forward, wrapping Javik in a hug as the tears began to fall down her face. For once in her life, she didn't care who saw her crying. Shepard had been watching her own life go down before her without a single choice in what she did. Javik freed her.

"Thank you, Javik," she managed in between sobs.

Javik stood still, unaware what Shepard was doing. He glanced up in confusion. Garrus had looked away, pretending to be interested in a potted plant so that no one saw his own tears. Liara was smiling. She made a gesture that he should hug Shepard back.

Javik put his arms around Shepard, patting her back to comfort her. He spoke so quietly that no one heard besides Shepard, "It'll be alright. No one will hurt you now. I will not let that happen."


	10. Older Memories and a Party

Chapter 10

**My Comments**** :**

Hiya everyone! Again! I need a better greeting ^.^'' So... Yeah... Without me knowing, my story went a little off of my plan. And now I can't get it back on without messing everything up. From now on, the ideas bouncing out of my head and into my laptop will be completely new and unknown to even me. Hopefully that will make my stories even more interesting. On a side note, I apologize to everyone for my silly grammatical errors. Truth be told, I haven't been able to major in writing yet. My brother _is_ a published author and he is giving me hints all of the time. So, yeah. And stuff... Enjoy! I'm thinking about going through and rewriting/editing some of the previous chapters since they aren't as good as my latter ones. What do you guys think?

And I apologize. This one is a little fluffy. Can't have the storyline all the time, right? Besides, depressed, PTSD Shepard just won't do!

Oh and here are my own thoughts while I was rereading my last chapter:

"Aw. Look at the cute oblivious Shepard! So adorable!"

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect series. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. I do, however, own this plot.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **Austybear **: Not all of Cerberus was infected. There were other branches that managed to avoid being indoctrinated. Plus, once the Reapers were taken over, any and all indoctrinated slaves immediately died. Shepard didn't want slaves.

~ **The Invisible Pretender** : After a little while, I figured that connecting with someone on that level might come with some repercussions. Not entirely good in Javik's mind ^.^ Or Garrus' for that matter.

**The Story**** :**

Shepard shivered as she stepped out of the shower. After her little episode, she had returned to the Normandy for a little – thought much needed – R&R. No matter how long she spent standing in the shower, the feeling that this could happen again haunted her. Shepard shivered again. How could she be this superhero everyone imagined her as if she just keeps causing problems? And now Cerberus is after her again. What happened to retiring on a nice, warm planet? Most of her crew would probably be leaving again. Her gaze switched to the mirror. During those three years, her hair had grown out quite a bit. No one had really noticed since she kept it up in a bun, but now she thought about going to get it cut.

Kaidan was a Council Spectre. He wouldn't be able to just drop his duties and help her. He has a real job to do. Finishing off Cerberus can hardly be considered the most important thing in the galaxy right now. Especially with repairs on many of planets' surfaces still in progress.

Speaking of repairs, she would have to give Wrex a ride back to Tuchanka. Apparently Jack too. 'I guess I wasn't the only one to impress the Krogan with a well-timed headbutt.' Jack had been staying with Wrex and helping rebuild. Grunt will probably want to go back too.

Liara and Javik would probably stay. She hadn't managed to get a good-enough ship for herself yet, so the XO room on the Crew Deck was her best bet. Plus, Javik tended to follow Liara around everywhere. If Liara stayed, Javik was bound to as well.

Then there was Garrus. Shepard wrapped herself in a towel, heading out of the bathroom. She laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Garrus. He had been rebuilding on Palaven, staying with his father and sister. Shepard could only imagine what the three of them had been through, especially since Garrus had thought she'd died for the second time. Knowing him, he'd want to return home. Make sure the planet wasn't collapsing in on itself and all that.

She sighed audibly. 'Oh gods, Shepard. What are you going to do? Everyone got lives. You may have just started yours again, but theirs had been going on for a while now!' She stood up, walking over to her closet. 'Let's just pick something to wear and get the discussions over with.'

"Commander Shepard?"

Sighing, she looked up. "Yes, EDI?"

The familiar voice was slightly calming. "Liara is coming up. She said something about 'planning something special. Do not tell Shepard what'."

The Commander chuckled. "Alright. Thanks EDI." She sat back down on the bed. Something special, huh? No way that could spell good news.

~ Break ~

Wrex practically snarled at the group. "What the hell are those women thinking?" He glared at the strange suit he was wearing. "What is this thing anyway?"

Kaidan glanced at angry Krogan; not that he wasn't usually angry for some reason or another. "It's called a tuxedo, Wrex. And I don't know what they're planning. All I know is that Jack shoved the box at me and said 'If you let anything happen to these, you're dead, pretty boy'."

Javik scoffed at them. "What is the point? We have no reason to wear these. They provide no protection from bullets." He tried to reach out to the Commander, seeing if he could figure out what was going on.

Garrus chuckled. "They aren't supposed to Javik. Tuxedos are supposed to look nice. Imagine that if we're wearing these, what will everyone else be wearing."

Joker sighed, looking around. He preferred to be in the cockpit, not an empty mess hall. The elevator had been turned off on this floor, so none of them knew what was going on.

"The elevator has arrived to bring all of you to the engineering deck."

'What perfect timing,' Joker thought with a sigh.

"EDI!" Kaidan stood up from the wall. "What's going on?"

"I am under orders of Liara to not tell any of the males aboard the ship or Commander Shepard what is going on."

James glanced around the group. "Okay. If Lola doesn't even know what's going on, this is big."

~ Break ~

"Where the hell are they? We've been down here for twenty minutes!" Kaidan took a sip of fruit punch, starting to get extremely bored of waiting.

"This place looks like a freaking Prom. Why are we even bothering?"

Hanging from the ceiling were a good amount of sparkling blue star and moon shapes. The room itself had a large music player, a dance floor, and a very large selection of food and drinks suited to all of the species on board the ship.

Garrus had been thinking about it for a while. He glanced at James. "Shepard was on Mindoir when the planet was attacked. I'd be willing to bet that Liara put this together to cheer her up."

Kaidan nodded, finally realizing it. "Shepard never really got the chance to attend school like a normal kid."

Wrex muttered something about 'Krogans never doing this shit' as he punched a wall.

The sound of the elevator door opening cut all thoughts and conversations short. A large collection of blue streamers blocked the initial entryway. The men could only hear whispers as the women prepared their entrance.

EDI was the first to walk in, seeming a little skeptical. "I do not see the purpose in wearing this outfit." She was wearing a white dress that fell just above the knees. A single strap connected to both sides of the front and went around her neck.

Joker started choking on his fruit punch.

Liara came next. "Come on, EDI. You have to join in the fun." The happy Asari was wearing a skin-tight, strapless, purple dress that complimented her figure. Matching heels and nails added to the effect.

Tali followed Liara, her hands clenched nervously in front of her. "I don't know about this." Her dress rested above her quarantine suit. The dress was a light purple and bounced around her feet. When Liara forced her to twirl, the dress twirled with her beautifully.

Miranda and Jack came next. Neither looked entirely thrilled to be there, but both were wearing dresses anyway. The dresses themselves were matching; both pure black, strapless, and reaching in the middle of their shins.

Jack sighed audibly. "I oughta beat you for making me wear this, Liara!"

Liara chuckled. "After the dance, alright?" She checked her Omni Tool for some sort of checklist. "Shepard! Come on!"

Garrus perked up a little, actually looking up to watch her come through. Kaidan removed his gaze from the silent music player, trying to hide his own eagerness at seeing the Commander in a dress. Even Javik looked up, having been completely uninterested until this point.

"No. I'm going back to my cabin." They heard a sigh of exasperation. "EDI! Turn the elevator back on!" Liara and Tali ran back behind the streamers. "No! Let go of me. I don't want to go! You already dragged me out of my cabin and put me in this ridiculous thing!"

A gasp arose from Cortez, Joker, James, Garrus, Kaidan, and even Javik as Shepard was forced through the streamers.

Her hands rested on her hips in annoyance. Long red hair cascaded down her back, perfectly brushed and shining. Her golden eyes were bright, _almost_ as if she were happy. The dress she wore was blue, complimenting her red hair and light complexion. From her elbow to wrist, the sleeve widened a little, lace adorning the very end. There were no straps accompanied with a sweetheart neckline. White silk covered the very top of the dress. A white silk sash was tied lightly around her waist. Below the sash, the dress was in four layers. The first at the top was slightly darker than the rest of the dress, matching the bodice. Below that layer, three more lighter blue layers rested easily. White silk and lace ended each layer.

Five of the before mentioned men felt their mouths gape a little. Javik decided on simply tilting his head.

"I'm leaving now." The woman turned, her dress twirling around her.

Jack grabbed the Commander's arm. "Listen here, princess. If I have to wear this stupid dress and stay down here in this forsaken hell-hole, then so do you."

Shepard turned to protest, but felt all of her resolve fade at Jack's glare. "Fine."

Liara smiled, glad that her plan was working so far. "And look at all of you. I never thought you two would actually wear the outfits." She gestured towards Grunt and Wrex.

Wrex grunted. "Don't expect it often, Liara." He sat down with a 'thunk' at one of the tables.

The Asari shook her head, chuckling. "I don't think any of us will, Wrex." She checked her Omni Tool again. After pressing a few buttons, the music player starts up. "How about we get to the actual dancing?" Liara smiled, her eyes simply saying 'you screw this up, I will kill you' as she glanced at the men across the room.

Shepard went straight to the closest table, sitting down. In simplest words, she looked pissed. However, her eyes were far way, her mind completely out of it.

~ Break ~

_Knock knock. "Coming!"_

_A beautiful young woman opened the door for the young man. She brushed a piece of her short blonde hair behind her ear. "Ah. Hello, Leo. She should be down in just a moment. You can come inside."_

_The, evidently much younger, boy stepped in. He nervously played with a leaf on the rose in his hands. "Has she been feeling better, Mrs. Shepard?"_

_Mrs. Shepard smiled. "Yes. Luckily, it wasn't a really bad case."_

_An older man stepped out of the kitchen. "Ah. Hello, Leo. Honey? Do you want the wine with dinner?"_

"_Sure, sweetie. Do you need any help?"_

_Mr. Shepard shook his head. "I promised to treat you to dinner tonight." He was about to head back into the kitchen when his gaze rested on the staircase. "There you are, sweetie. Leonardo is waiting for you."_

_Leo cringed. "Leo, please, Mr. Shepard." He was about to say he didn't go by 'Leonardo' when he spotted the girl who had gotten Mr. Shepard's attention. "Oh. Wow."_

_A young girl around Leo's age stood smiling at the top of the staircase. Long red hair cascaded down her back, shining brightly. Her golden eyes shone just as bright. She wore a strapless red sundress._

"_Leo!" The girl ran down the steps, tackling her best friend in a bear-hug. "I was getting so bored without you to hang out with!"_

_Leo squirmed out of the girl's grip. "Well, I would've come to see you sooner if your mom would let me, Princess Shepard."_

_Shepard giggled. "Oh really? So mom's to blame? And what's with that silly nickname again?"_

_The boy laughed, holding out the rose. "Oh, um, here. My mom finally got the roses to bloom. So, uh, since we're going to her ball I thought you'd like it, and um-."_

_Shepard grabbed the rose, hugging her friend. "Thanks, Leo. Should we be going?"_

_Leo smiled, holding out his hand. "Allow me to escort you, Princess Shepard?"_

"_Of course." She grabbed his hand without hesitation._

~ Break ~

"Is she okay?"

Miranda shrugged at Tali. "She's remembering something. No idea what. Look at her eyes."

Tali smoothed out her dress for the hundredth time. "We are doing this for her. Should someone talk to her, or something?"

Miranda sighed. "Why don't you ask Garrus? He's been staring at her for the past twenty minutes."

Javik glanced at Miranda and Tali for a moment. He'd been so on edge, due to his lack of armor, that any thoughts of Shepard had left his mind. Worry laced his mind. Why had he stopped paying attention? He should _always_ be paying attention. Reaching out again, he managed to connect himself to Shepard. 'She is happy? No. She is remembering a happy time.'

"You should not bother the Commander."

Tali jumped a little, turning to Javik. "And why not?"

"She is remembering a better time. The Commander is happy."

The Quarian glanced back at the Commander. "I guess she is. She _is _smiling anyway."

In truth, Shepard was smiling. For the time being, the Commander was happy.

~ Break ~

"_Princess! Princess Shepard!" Leo called out to his best friend. Another gun-shot sounded somewhere to his left. 'Oh gods. Please tell me those Batarians don't have my princess.'_

"_Leo!" Shepard spotted her friend, her heart racing. 'What's going on? Why does Leo have a gun?' _

_The woman next to Shepard suddenly dropped, blood pouring from her head. A Batarian stood behind her, a pistol in hand. He smiled mischievously at Shepard. "I'm sure we could get a pretty price for you, sweetheart."_

_Leo heard his name, his eyes shooting around the ballroom. His eyes finally landing on his princess, he felt his heart stop beating. "Oh gods. No!" Shakily, Leo raised the gun, shooting the Batarian in a few times in his head for good measure. "Princess! We need to get out of here!"_

_Shepard's eyes were wide. "Leo?" She looked around at the numerous dead people. "What about mother and father?"_

_Leo grabbed the girl's hand. "We need to get out of here. Princess!" He wrapped his arms around her. "Please trust me, Princess." Leo stood back, grabbing her hand again. "We need to get you out of here."_

_Shepard allowed Leo to pull her along, still unsure what was happening. She watched other men and women being shot, some of her best girlfriends being taken away by the strange aliens. They ran for about an hour before meeting up with a few soldiers._

_Leo pushed her towards the soldiers. "I heard some of the older men yelling about what was going on. Batarian slave traders."_

_The soldiers started to lead her away. "Leo! No! Where are you taking me? Leo!" She watched as Leo ran off to show the soldiers where the Batarians were._

_The girl collapsed on a bed in one of the tents, crying. "Oh gods. Leo! Where are you?" She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder._

"_It'll be alright, miss."_

_Shepard looked up. A man in a military uniform stood before her. "Who are you?"_

_The man pulled the girl in for a hug. "My name is David Anderson. And trust me. You're safe here."_

~ Break ~

Shepard bit her lip. The last time she had been at an event like this, everyone she knew had died. Many of them before her. She looked around at everyone. Most of the people were smiling, having a good time. A few were even dancing. These people before her were just as happy as her friends on Mindoir.

"Oh gods. I'd almost forgotten."

Shepard stared at the table in front of her, barely registering Garrus as he sat across from her.

"Shepard? Are you alright? You look a little pale."

"The," she paused, not wanting to think about it. "The last time I was at an event like this..." She trailed off, a single tear starting to make its way down her face.

By now, the room had started to quiet down, everyone turning their attention to Shepard, the woman they were all trying to make happy.

"What happened, Shepard?"

"I," she stopped, suddenly standing up. She started heading towards the elevator, the tears falling down her face freely now. "EDI. Unlock the elevator."

"Shepard. I was told not to-."

"That wasn't a suggestion, EDI."

A pause. "The elevator is ready, Commander."

Shepard paused in front of the elevator, everyone staring at her. She walked into the elevator, turning around. Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"The last time I was at an event like this, I watched many of my friends died." The room was filled with silence as Shepard pressed the elevator button. "I was... I was on Mindoir." The elevator door closed, leaving everyone with her last words.


	11. The Whole Story Comes Together

Chapter 11

**My Comments** **:**

More stuff! This will probably be about half fluff before I go on with another section of storyline. On a separate note, I am _really_ sorry. I went to my mother's house for quite a while and forgot my story. Considering this was already three to four pages, I didn't want to start anew with a version that would be much less... Eh. Face it, the new version would suck. So, here we are.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect series. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. I do, however, own this plot.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **The Invisible Pretender** : Anderson kind of appeared on a whim. When the thought came to mind I practically squealed myself ^.^

**The Story** **:**

Liara stared blankly at a wall. "It's my fault, isn't it? I thought this would make things better, but I only made things worse."

Kaidan laid a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "There's no way you could have known, Liara. No one really knows what happened on Mindoir."

Liara bit her lip, looking away. "Yeah. I guess so." She bit her lip a little harder. A while ago, the Shadow Broker had decided to use her vast amounts of intelligence to look up Shepard's past. A report on Mindoir had been among the information found. A report that had never been shown to the public. A report by David Anderson.

"Liara? What's up with that look?" Kaidan tilted his head as he tried to get a better look at Liara's face. After a few moments, realization dawned. "You know what happened on Mindoir, don't you?"

At hearing the Spectre's words, the room quieted down once more. As far as the public knew, Mindoir had been attacked by Batarian Slave Traders. Only one little girl survived; Shepard.

Liara slowly nodded. "Yeah. About a year after the Crucible was fired, I couldn't help myself anymore. I looked up the Mindoir incident. Apparently, there were two reports made. One that the public saw, and another by David Anderson. The latter never being released."

Garrus stood up quickly, walking over to the elevator. No one tried to stop him, or question his actions. Of course, Kaidan wanted more that anything to be the one to comfort Shepard right now. However, even Kaidan realized that the former mercenary Turian was the only one she needed right now. Even if he was reluctant to admit it.

~ Break ~

Shepard cried into her pillow, memories rushing back to her. Before the incident, she had been a smart, _innocent_, young girl who wanted to be a scientist. Once she met Anderson, she wanted nothing more than to become a soldier. One day, she wanted to make people who did stuff like that pay. After legally taking her in, Anderson was more than happy to oblige. He taught her how to use a gun, and even went so far as to take her on some of the ships he worked on.

The latter was never that big of a deal. Whenever one of the men – who usually had too much to drink – tried to hit on the young girl, she would flip them over her head and keep walking like nothing had happened. Other than those few events, she was great to have on board. Shepard would often give the soldiers pointers on how to aim better, how to decide the best cover, and sometimes even just talked to them to make them feel better. Of course, she could never go on missions, but she always welcomed the soldiers back with a smile on her face.

Shepard turned over so she was on her back, staring at the ceiling. If Anderson hadn't been there that day, she might have just become some family's trophy daughter. The girl who survived Mindoir. Anderson changed her life, even if few people knew who she really was during that point in time. Even if she refused to talk to anyone about it, Anderson had always been there for her. He had never spoken about the incident in public, but always supported Shepard just the same. His death had definitely hit her the hardest.

A tentative knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "S-Shepard?"

Shepard sighed. "Come on in, Garrus." She moved over to the side of the bed, swinging her legs over so they dangled off the side.

Garrus walked in slowly, stopping when he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Do you want to, um, talk about it?" His hands wrung together nervously, unsure of if he chose the right words.

Shepard sighed again, gesturing for him to come closer. "I've never told anyone about Mindoir. There was only one person I ever talked to about it. That was because he was there." She took a deep breath. "Anderson. He was there when my friend brought me to the soldiers that were preparing to intervene."

Garrus sat on the bed next to Shepard. "Anderson was there?"

She nodded. "Yeah. He actually raised me after that. You wouldn't believe how different I was back then. The thought of ever even _touching_ a gun scared me. The thought of wearing anything other than skirts and dresses scared me."

Garrus' mandibles flared in surprise. Shepard used to be girly? The thought shocked him a great deal.

Shepard chuckled softly. "After he told me that no one else had survived, I changed my resolve. Anderson raised me. I asked him to teach me how to use a gun. Everything changed after that. I became who I am today once I learned that everyone I knew was dead. Even my best friend."

Carefully pulling Shepard in for a hug, he whispered, "Tell me about this friend." Garrus figured that talking about would either make her get extremely angry, or feel a lot better. He preferred the latter, practically crossing his talons hopefully.

"His name was Leo. His mother practically ran the colony. She kept everyone's morale up all the time; hosting balls, parades, diner parties. You name it and she had it. My family owned a large farm on the outside of town. Ours was the biggest and made the most money, so a lot of the other families didn't like us. In turn, their kids didn't like me. I was an outcast. For some reason, Leo decided that he liked me. He always went out of his way to make me feel better, even if it was a problem for him. He was constantly inviting me to his mother's events, trying to integrate me into the society that I had allowed myself to detach from." Shepard took a shaky breath. "It worked too. Even after the other kids had grown to like me, Leo stuck around. I still have no idea why though. I wasn't always nice to him, making him do ridiculous things for me. At one point, when I was seven, we were playing in a forest when my shoe fell in a river. I was horrified, so I did what came to mind; I told Leo to go get it for me. The weirdest part was, he did it without hesitation. He came back out a few minutes later with a smile and my shoe. He was shivering like there was no tomorrow, but he was happy anyway." She shook her head, smiling. "He had taken to calling me 'Princess Shepard' because of how I acted."

Garrus nodded, slowly coming to realization. A few actually. One of which was that this friend had liked Shepard. Of course, she had been oblivious to it. Not like it was that much of a surprise; Shepard still didn't realize when someone like her that much. The second realization was that Anderson's death definitely hurt Shepard the most, even though she never talked about it. If she was to be believed, Anderson had adopted her and taught her how to fight. The third was that Shepard likely never wanted to fight like this. He had no idea what Shepard would have preferred to do with her life, but becoming a Commander had likely never been on her list.

"And what about Anderson? What was it like with him?"

Shepard's smile faded, and she moved in closer to Garrus. "We had some of the best times of my life," she said quietly.

~ Break ~

"_Welcome back, Major Geo. How was the mission on Terra Nova?"_

_The Major smiled, patting the young girl on the head. "Fine, miss. And did you take good care of the crew while I was away?"_

_Shepard smiled brightly. "Of course! I made sure everyone ate, even your pilot who refused to leave the cockpit, and I set aside food for your ground party. It's waiting for all of them in the mess."_

_Geo laughed. "Thanks, though I can't help but wonder what Mess Sergeant Richardson is up to since you're doing all the cooking."_

"_Oh! He's working! I swear! Please don't get mad at him!" Shepard put her hands in front of her, as if she were praying._

"_Calm down, miss. No need to worry about Richardson. He wouldn't let a nice young lady like you do all the work." The Major turned. "Hey, boys! Our young friend here set some food aside for all of us! You'd better go eat it and thank 'er!"_

_The soldiers cheered, thanking Shepard as they walked by. She merely smiled, politely nodding her head._

"_Are you going to go eat, Major Geo?"_

_Geo smiled. "Of course, little lady. Now pray tell me, how has the crew been treating you?"_

~ Break ~

"Major Geo was one of the nicer people I met. I mean, he went out of his way to make sure the crew didn't bother me and that I was comfortable." Shepard sighed, wiping away the remnants of tears from her face. "I had a good amount of fun on those ships. Everyone was afraid to hurt me, unless they were drunk, because of my father, and I always managed to make them smile."

Garrus nodded thoughtfully. "You seem to a lot different now."

"Yeah." There was a long pause, and the Turian almost changed the subject when Shepard said, "Mindoir may have been the hardest event in my life, but some parts were pretty difficult."

~ Break ~

"_Miss! Get to the med bay and hide!"_

_Shepard held her pistol steadily, which was better then most of the crew. "Not on my life, Geo!"_

_Geo was about to argue when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Major Anderson?"_

_Anderson nodded. "Don't argue with her, Geo. She could probably beat you in an accuracy contest. She's prepared to fight."_

_The major sighed. "Fine. I want you to head across the hall. Take up cover there and shoot when those Batarians round the corner, got it, miss?"_

_Shepard nodded. "Yes, sir!" She ran across the hall, pausing only once to look back and say, "Oh, by the way. Call me Shepard. Miss is way to girly, even if it is formal."_

_Geo looked shocked. "Whoa. You mean-."_

"_We'll talk about it later, Geo. They're coming!" Anderson raised his gun, keeping a careful eye on Shepard._

~ Break ~

"Needless to say, Anderson and Geo never got the chance to talk about it. A Batarian had grabbed him from behind. I shot that son of bitch in the head, but not before he killed Major Geo." Shepard sighed, her shoulders shaking slightly. "I got over my anger at Batarians then. I still hold quite the grudge, but after killing so many, I lost the need to kill anymore." She shook her head, separating from Garrus. "And there you go. That incident happened on the 18th birthday. I left Anderson, promising to become the best damn soldier I could become. For him, for Major Geo, for my family, for Leo."

Garrus nodded slowly. "Thanks for telling me, Shepard. Do you feel any better?"

Shepard felt herself smiling naturally for the first time in a long time. "Yes, actually. I do. I feel like a weight's been lifted. Thanks, Garrus." She leaned against him, feeling pretty content. The silence wasn't awkward or strange, just peaceful.

~ Break ~

Liara sighed. She had just told Miranda, Tali, and Kaidan the truth of what happened on Mindoir. The others had mumbled something about 'not incurring Shepard's wrath' before stepping into the elevator. The three who had stayed now looked slightly horrified. She had stopped after mentioning that Anderson had adopted her. In fact, the information ended there. It was likely that Shepard had gone under some sort of alias that was still unknown to even the Shadow Broker.

Miranda shook her head. "Even Cerberus didn't have access to that information. I couldn't have imagined that Mindoir was that awful."

Liara was about to reply when a '_ping_' sounded from her Omni Tool. She sighed before looking at the message. A single picture was at the top, one that the Shadow Broker had managed to dig up and had often thought about giving to Shepard. It was a picture of a young girl and boy smiling, the boy with his arm around the girl's shoulder. '_Shepard and Leo'_ was written under the picture. Two arrows emerged from the pictures. One pointed below and slightly to the left. Shepard's picture was there, along with the words '_Spectre Commander Shepard. Current Location: Normandy_'. Liara sighed in annoyance. That much was obvious. She looked to the next picture. A young man, probably around Shepard's age, smiled and was leaning against a wall. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. The words under the picture read '_Currently helping with rebuilding efforts on Illium. Confirmed identity as Leo Nocturna'._

Liara's eyes widened. "Oh my goddess."

Kaidan looked up in confusion. "Liara? What is it?"

"Shepard's old friend, Leo. H-he's alive!"


	12. The Best Friend and Dealings

Chapter 12

**My Comments :**

I am so sorry again! I'm getting back into the swing of things, despite the annoying advanced classes I'm currently taking. The sleeping for three hours a night doesn't really help either. So here we are! Please review if you have any ideas for the story or anything you think I should change about my writing. Thank you! ^.^'

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **Mel** : I'll definitely think about it ^.^ It's a good idea!

~ **The Invisible Pretender** : Sort of. I thought introducing an OC would spice up the story a little. Besides, it's hard to think of things to make the characters go through when I haven't played all of the "Downloadable Content".

~ **SoaringSkynaut** : I'll take the "aghhh" as a good things ;-) I hope I keep with your standards!

~ **DandereGoneFishing **: Am I that surprising? XD I'm glad I managed to be original!

**The Story :**

"Garrus." No response. "Garrus?" Still no response. Shepard growled. "Vakarian! You're laying over me!"

True to her word, Garrus had fallen asleep and was now draped over Shepard's stomach. His head dangled off the edge of the bed.

"Hmm?"

"Someone is trying to talk to me. Move your ass." Garrus merely shifted. "Fine. Your choice."

Shepard glowed light blue for a moment, tossing Garrus onto the couch. The Turian flailed for a few seconds before sitting up in surprise, his mandibles flaring. He spotted the remnants of blue around Shepard. The human woman walked into the bathroom, digging out a pair of dark blue jeans and black t-shirt. A pair of brown boots slipped easily on her feet as she hopped out of the bathroom.

"Commander?" The amused voice of Joker spoke over the intercom.

"Don't sound so happy, Moreau. Why the hell is the ship preparing to dock at Illium?" The commander practically snarled her words.

"Liara said it would be best. She has a surprise for you." Joker had sobered a little, knowing it wouldn't be smart to piss off Shepard anymore.

"Fine. This time, I'm bringing my weapons and some squad mates this time."

~ Break ~

Shepard hadn't calmed down at all by the time she had reached the cockpit. "Are we ready, Joker?"

Joker nodded slowly. "The doors are opening now."

Shepard turned, unhappiness written all over her face. She looked down at her armor. It was an unused N7 she had left lying around. Her old armor was destroyed, full of bullet holes.

Shaking that memory out of her head, Shepard headed to the airlock. A slightly worried-looking Turian stood beside a straight-faced Prothean. Liara stood a ways behind, not wanting to get close to Shepard.

The commander pressed a button on the doors, watching them slide open. As she stepped out onto Illium, Garrus and Javik followed her.

"Shepard? Liara said the present would be coming to meet us."

Shepard nodded, spotted three people come towards them. Two Asari women in matching business uniforms followed on either side of the third person. The third was a man. He was smiling happily, apparently happy that a ship as well-known as the Normandy was docking at Illium. The man was wearing a pair of jeans, a green t-shirt, and combat boots.

"Ah, you must be the Commander of the Norm-," the man stopped short, his eyes widening.

"Excuse me? Is something wrong?" Shepard demanded, still in a bad mood.

Garrus' mandibles flared in confusion. "This is Commander Shepard. My name is Garrus Vakarian and this is Javik."

The man took a step forward, trying to get a better look at the woman in front of him. "P-Princess Shepard?"

Shepard froze, Garrus following her example. Javik tilted his own head, his brain racking Shepard's memories.

"How dare you call me that!" Shepard started to be surrounded by a familiar blue aura. "Only one person has ever called me that!"

Tears began to stream down the man's face. "Oh my goddess. I was never able to find you! All I was able to find out was that an army man adopted you! It's me, Leonardo!"

Shepard heard the hangar open behind her. The sound of footsteps stopped just behind her.

"N-no! That's impossible! I was always told that everyone besides me on Mindoir died!"

A soft, familiar, human voice sounded behind her. "Shepard? Are you alright?" Kaidan placed a comforting hand on the commander's shoulder.

Garrus stepped a little closer, placing his talon on her free shoulder. "Shepard. Take a deep breath."

Leo stared at the men in surprise. "But you always wanted to be a scientist. Why would you even become a soldier? Don't tell me it was because of what happened back home."

Kaidan stepped forward so he was next to Shepard. "You wanted to be a scientist?"

Shepard nodded slowly. "Yes. I did."

"The thought that my best friend was the one saving the galaxy never even crossed my mind. Oh goddess, Shepard!"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Shepard." The group turned to the nervous-looking Asari. "I thought that if I had told you, you wouldn't believe me."

The commander was about to say that she always believed in Liara when recognition dawned. "You knew about Mindoir?"

Liara froze. "W-well, I, um, k-kind of looked it up."

"Damn it Liara!" Shepard's blue aura glowed brightly, causing Garrus and Kaidan to both flinch away. "I can't believe any of this!" A small orb surrounded Shepard, keeping everyone away from her. "I'm going to my cabin," she growled, stomping back towards the ship, attempting to keep the tears from flowing down her face.

~ Break ~

Leo sighed, nodding. "Yes. I was Princess Shepard's friend. I was the first person that actually made an effort to talk to her. She never really like people, but she was such a nice and happy person." He shook his head, ruffling his black hair. "Most of the other girls were jealous. Princess was the smartest student, and she was beautiful too. She's changed a lot, though. I never would have guessed she'd give up her dream of being a scientist."

Javik seemed thoughtful before calmly saying, "She thought highly of you." The group turned to look at the unusually talkative Prothean. "Though she was very upset. According to what I have of her memories, the Commander waited for thirty hours for you to return. It was Anderson who finally made her leave the planet."

Leo shook his head. "Oh goddess. I really screwed up. I tried to find her after I got off the planet, but I had amnesia for seven years. When my memories came back, the trail Princess left was gone."

Garrus stepped forward. "So what are you going to do now?" His mandibles widened in curiosity.

Leo shrugged. "I have no idea. What is there for me to do?"

~ Break ~

"At least everyone's busy with our new guest."

Shepard glanced around the Shuttle Bay. Everyone had gone upstairs to either join the interrogation of Leo or just discuss his appearance, as well as her past, with each other. Shepard grabbed a key that she usually hid in her boot, opening a large closet. Inside the closet was a large collection of exercise equipment. She dragged it all out, setting it out throughout the deck.

"Hm. Where to start?" she muttered, still very annoyed. Shepard grabbed a pair of boxing gloves from the closet, proceeding to the punching bag. "Time to raise some hell," she snarled.

~ Break ~

"That is not a wise decision, Garrus."

"Huh?" Garrus turned around, spotting EDI's platform. "Why shouldn't I go see her?"

"The Commander left her cabin." All eyes fell on the AI. "She is now in the Shuttle Bay. It is very likely that anyone who disturbs her will be tossed through the hull of the ship."

Leo blinked in confusion. "What do you mean tossed through the hull of the ship? Are her arms that strong?"

Javik tilted his head at the human curiously. "The Commander had died twice. She is stronger than most."

Silence filled the room. Leo's eyes widened, and he started to shake his hand. Both Kaidan and Garrus put their faces in their hands/talons.

"Princess died? Twice?!"

Kaidan nodded, sighing. "Yes. The first time she was rebuilt by Cerberus." He spat the last word out.

"R-rebuilt?!"

"The Commander had been spaced after an attack by the Collectors. She-." EDI stopped short. "Detecting Reaper presence. Monarch is requesting permission to board."

James laughed from his spot in the corner of the mess. "Well things are about to get interesting."

"Like they weren't interesting enough before," muttered Kaidan, his gaze lingering on the newcomer.

~ Break ~

Monarch stood calmly in front of the crew in the mess hall. "Commander Shepard's signal is not here," she said simply.

Leo merely gaped at the Reaper AI.

"No. It's not. Lola's not excepting visitors right now."

Monarch blinked once. "I must preform a test to see how she is doing."

"W-wait!" Leo stood up. "Why does a Reaper need to take a look at Princess Shepard?"

Monarch turned her attention to the human. "Scanning. Subject found. You are a friend of the Commander. She thought you were dead."

Leo fell back down. "H-how do you know that?"

"The Commander is the collective conscious of the Reapers. Of course we can access her memories."

Liara took a step forward. "Let me explain, Leo. You see, after Shepard activated the Crucible, her consciousness left her body. The Reapers brought her back. In truth, you could say that she was dead for three years."

Leo put his face in his hands. "You mean she was dead twice?"

"Yes," Monarch stated, nodding. "We brought our master back to our base and worked on her until she could live again. We wished for her to see what has happened to the world she died to save."

Garrus stood up. "EDI? I'm bringing Monarch down to the Shuttle Bay to see Shepard."

Joker's voice sounded over the intercom before EDI could respond. "Whoa! Slow down, big guy! If you go down there, she'll snap you like a twig!"

Garrus glared at the ceiling in Joker's general direction. "I'm sure I'll survive. I survived the suicide mission before didn't I?"

Joker chuckled. "That was because of Shepard's great leadership skills!"

"Princess led a suicide mission?!"

Garrus glared at Leo before heading towards the elevator. "This way, Monarch."

"Thank you, Master Garrus." Monarch bowed to the others before proceeding to the elevator.

~ Break ~

"_N-no! I need to wait for Leo!" The ten-year old girl fought against Anderson, unforeseen strength pushing him back._

_Anderson sighed. This young girl definitely had potential, but it was unlikely she would ever do anything, especially since her friend is gone. "Calm down now, miss. I need you to understand. Leo needs to help. It might be a while before you can see him again."_

"_Then I'll stay here!" The girl stomped her foot, the building they were in shaking slightly._

_'We scanned her! She doesn't have any biotics. How can this girl possibly be this powerful?!' Anderson placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. He almost had to pull his hand back because of the intense heat she was emitting. "Listen. I know you want to see him as soon as possible, but right now you need to keep going on, alright?"_

_Realization hit the girl. "Oh." She took a shaky breath. 'Leo is dead.' Wiping tears off of her face, the girl nodded. "Alright. We can go."_

"_Thank you. Would you mind telling me your name?"_

"_Shepard," she said without hesitation. "But I want a favor."_

"_Oh?" Anderson turned to the girl suspiciously. "What is it?"_

_Shepard stood tall, staring at Anderson with eyes that dared him to challenge her. "I don't want to be a scientist anymore. I want to be soldier. Teach me how to use a gun."_

_Anderson took one look into her eyes and knew he couldn't challenge her. "Alright," he said with a smile. 'I'm sure she'll do great things one day. And I'll be the proudest father ever.'_

~ Break ~

"_Honey, come here."_

"_Mom! I don't want to do another experiment!"_

_Mrs. Shepard looked at her unhappy looking daughter. "I'm sorry sweetie. If we don't do these tests, then we wouldn't have enough money anymore. Your father and I have always been scientists, not farmers."_

_Shepard frowned. 'Yeah. Bad scientists. When I grow up, I'll be a good one! Just you wait a see!' The five year old red head sat down. "Fine, mother. What does this one do?"_

"_It should make you sleepy." She injected her daughter. As the girl passed out, the woman smiled. "Jonathan! Come here! Do you have the biotic implants?"_

_Mr. Jonathan Shepard came out of the other room. "Yes dear, but are you sure this is a good idea? Our lovely daughter doesn't show any signs of being a biotic."_

"_That's the point, Jonathan," growled Mrs. Shepard, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "We'll need to record the results for our employers."_

_Jonathan shook his head, handing over the implants. "Your employer. I told you I want nothing to do with Cerberus."_

_Shepard moved slightly, having not been completely asleep yet. 'Cerberus? Who're they?'_

~ Break ~

_Fwiiiing. Thunk!_ Another punching bag flew off its chain and pounded against the wall.

"Dammit!" A pile of broken chain links lay at the Commander's feet. She grabbed one, using her power to crush it in her hand. "Stupid chain. Stupid bags!" Shepard glared at the pile of punching bags in the corner. With a flick of her hand, the bags flew up into the air, smacking against the ceiling. "Why did she have to do that to me! That witch! This is her fault! Cerberus had given the tip to the slave traders when she didn't test me enough!"

Shepard flicked her wrist again, sending the bags across the room. One flew through a window, landing on the deck above.

"That bitch!"

Shepard flung all of the bags towards the ground, almost crushing Garrus and Monarch. Both had managed to roll out of the way in time.

"Go the fuck away! I'm not dealing with anyone right now!" Shepard's locket fell to the ground as she snarled at them. "Ah," Shepard gasped lightly, her anger disappearing. "M-my locket."

Garrus walked forward, picking it up. "Shepard. Relax a little."

Shepard grabbed the locket, looking inside. On one side was a picture of her and her parents when she was eight. The other was a picture of her and Leo the day of the party. The day she thought he died. Shepard felt her body start to quiver with anger.

"Stupid locket."

Shepard tore the locket in half, crushing the picture of her and her parents. She stuck the other half in her pocket before boarding the elevator.

"Monarch. We'll do this in my cabin."

Garrus picked up the remains of the locket half. The picture was still intact, and, despite his better judgment, he decided to consult Liara.


	13. A Day Out with the Pilot

Chapter 13

**My Comments :**

Hello again! Look at me, getting back on the metaphorical saddle. ^.^ I know that last chapter wasn't exactly... Nevermind. It sucked. So, now I'm working twice as hard!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **The Invisible Pretender** : Yeah. I figured there has to be some sort of reason for Shepard's amazing mental and physical strength. I believe that the whole 'being tested on as a child' excuse should suffice.

**The Story :**

"Dr. T'soni? Garrus Vakarian is at your door."

"Thank you, Glyph," Liara said, staring blankly at the wall of monitors. "Let him in."

The sound of the door opening was quickly followed by the familiar Turian voice, "Liara? We need to tal-. What's he doing here?"

The Shadow Broker sighed, turning around. The 'he' in question was sitting at her desk, staring out the window. Garrus stood by the door, looking both angry and sad at the same time.

"I had to get the crew to stop questioning him. What do you need, Garrus?"

The former mercenary sighed loudly. "Something else is bother Shepard. She was muttering when Monarch and I walked in. Punching bags were being biotically tossed around the Shuttle Bay. Her locket fell off and she crushed one half of it."

Leo perked up, turning. "W-which side?"

"The side with her parents. Why?" Garrus spat out the words, angry at the man who was causing the woman he loved so much grief.

Leo shook his head, standing. "I gave Princess that locket the day Mindoir was attacked. I assumed she would have destroyed the half the picture of the both of us was on."

Liara ignored the two men, turning to her computers. Fingers moving as fast as lightning, she typed in her various searches.

Garrus' mandibles flared in confusion. "What? Did Shepard not like her parents?"

"No! Not in the slightest! Er, no wait." Leo thought for a moment. "As far as I knew, Princess loved her parents. I know that she liked her father more, but she was always so happy. Even if she didn't like them, it's not like anyone would have known."

"Oh my goddess." The two men turned to Liara, who was covering her mouth in distraught surprise. "Oh no. No no no!"

Garrus placed a calming talon on Liara's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

The Shadow Broker turned around, her eyes wide. "Sh-Shepard's mother was a Cerberus agent. A s-scientist."

Leo gasped, falling back onto the chair. "I-impossible! She was a farmer, not a scientist."

Realization his Garrus. "What kind of experiments did she do?"

Liara turned back to the monitors. "Human testing." The room was silent, no one even dared to breath. "On her daughter."

~ Break ~

"Thanks for the help Monarch. I wish you a safe journey back to the Reaper AI headquarters."

Monarch nodded, stepping out of the elevator. "I wish I could be of assistance. Unfortunately, these memories will continue to come back for quite a while. Anything you stored away must be reprocessed in your mind. I apologize. If we had waited, this would not be an issue."

Shepard shook her head slowly. "No. Don't apologize. I'm glad to be back at all. I should count my blessings. Goodbye, Monarch." Shepard pressed button number three on the elevator, waving goodbye.

She was mentally exhausted. With Liara trying to help so much, she wasn't sure she'd stay sane too much longer. The elevator beeped and she headed towards Liara's room. A talk was much needed.

"What kind of experiments did she do?"

Shepard froze, her hand hovering over the door controls. _'Oh goddess no. Garrus did not go to Liara.'_

"Human testing. On her daughter."

Shepard opened the door, and three faces turned her way, switching from sorrow to fear.

"Dammit. Can't you keep your nose in your own damn business?!" The hero took a deep breath. "I guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?"

Garrus tilted his head. "Cat? There was a cat in a bag?"

Leo tapped his shoulder. "An old human saying."

Shepard glared at the two as Garrus nodded slowly. She didn't hear the footsteps before they were right behind her.

A soft, familiar voice spoke, "Did you guys manage to piss her off again?"

Liara sighed. "Hello, Kaidan. Now might not be the best time."

Scoffing, Shepard growled out, "Sure. Whatever you say. Why don't we just tell everyone?! I didn't tell anyone about that for a reason!" Shepard clenched her fists, small drops of blood landing on the floor. "I didn't want people to know that my mother put biotic implants into her non-biotic child when she was five. Or that she was injecting strange chemicals into her since she was born." As she spoke, the group's eyes widened in horror. "Or that she forced her daughter to train and _develop_ biotic abilities because of those experimental implants created by Cerberus. Or that said daughter almost died twice because training was too difficult. Or that-."

"Shepard," Liara's soft voice muttered. "It's alright calm down."

"No! It's not!" Shepard raised one of her bloody hands, pointing at the Asari. "Let me finish, Liara. I didn't want people to know that the Batarian slave traders were called because my mother was working fast enough. Cerberus gave away when the colony was the weakest as punishment."

Leo put his face in his hands. "Oh goddess."

At this point, Shepard was aware that a group had accumulated outside of Liara's room. She turned around, her glare the scariest it had ever been. Even Grunt and Wrex shied away a little. Miranda's eyes widened. To her, this information was completely new; even Cerberus didn't have access to these files anymore.

The one least-likely to comfort anyone stepped forward. "Wait. You mean that the entire time you were talking about how you knew what I'd been through your were telling the truth? Fuck that, princess."

Shepard sighed loudly, shoving her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "I was never much a liar, Jack. Dodging questions is one thing." Her gaze didn't let up. "Now move. I'm going for a walk."

The biotic stood her ground. "No, Shepard. Fuck that. Why the hell are you still trying to do this alone?"

"What the hell do you mean?"

The crew was absolutely frozen in fear. At this point, both Shepard and Jack were surrounded by a blue aura because of their anger. A fight between the two of them would tear the Normandy apart. They all knew that.

"You always do things alone!" Jack snarled, a small wave of pressure emanating from her body. "I noticed before, when I first joined you. You were secluded, and though you never really let anyone see you like that, it was pretty damn obvious!"

Shepard started to walk towards the elevator. "Out of my, Jack." Even without using a single movement of her hand, the commander pushed Jack back, forcing her to fall down and out of the way. "I won't leave the ship, but if any of you bother me, I swear to tear you apart," Shepard growled, turning to glare at her crew once more, "in the most painful way possible."

~ Break ~

"So Commander, I hear you're causing problems. No need to destroy the Normandy while you're at it. That might make EDI pretty upset."

Shepard sighed from her position in the co-pilot's seat. "I promise to not tear apart the Normandy, Joker." She paused. "Did you hear all of it."

Joker hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Yeah. I heard." He sighed. "Listen, Commander. Everything that happened made you who you are, right? So why should you be upset about that?"

Shepard turned her head to look at the pilot. "Why? I hid from my mother so she couldn't do the tests. Because she couldn't do her tests, Mindoir was attacked."

"Uh-uh, Commander. Not your fault." Joker laughed. "How could the great Commander Shepard ever act like this. Where's that macho front you've always got?"

Laughing, the hero said, "It's taking a break. I've been different, Joker. I can't seem to be like myself. No matter what I try, my old self won't come back."

"So? You're you, Shepard." Joker spun around so he could see the human in question. "Don't forget that. So, you died twice. Who cares? I think dying once could change a person enough, but you died twice and still came out of it. You had to make a decision that only _you_ could make because of who you are. Would you really want to change that? And what would you want instead?"

Sighing, the woman smiled. "And how do you always know what to say, Joker?"

"I'm amazing. That's all I have to say about that." After earning a laugh from his superior, he added, "Why don't we go to the bar? We can get you in a outfit that no one would suspect you in. Just the two of us. I'll even get into some civilian clothing. What do you say?"

"You know what? I think that's the best idea I've heard in a few years." Smirking, the Commander slipped out of her seat, heading straight for her cabin.

~ Break ~

Joker tapped the counter nervously. He was wearing a pretty common civilian outfit for citizens of Earth. A pair a gray jeans, a blue t-shirt with some sort of dragon graphic, and sneakers.

"Waiting for a special lady?"

Joker jumped, turning to the bartender. "Not in that way," he replied with a laugh. "She's more like a sister."

The Salarian bartender smiled. "Oh yeah? Is she the nervous-looking one turning heads?"

"Huh?" Joker spun around, spotting Shepard.

Her long red hair was set free, reaching the back of her knees. She wore a black tank top, black skirt that reached mid-thigh, combat boots, leather jacket, leather gloves, and a black rose in her hair.

"Hey, Joker."

Joker gaped for a few minutes before managing, "C-commander?"

Shepard laughed happily. "You told me to dress so no one would suspect me. How did I do?"

Joker started laughing too. "Never expected this, though. You really went the extra mile."

"I didn't want to risk it."

The bartender laughed, interrupting the conversation. "So I guess your lady friend, er, sister-like friend, was the one turning heads. You're one lucky fellow, sir." He walked away, still chuckling.

Shepard smirked, sitting at a stood beside Joker. "So. I'm a sister now?"

Joker rolled his eyes. "He thought you were my date."

"Oh please, Joker. Like anyone this beautiful would be meeting _you_."

Joker feigned pain. "I'm hurt, Commander. I can't believe you'd think that way!"

Laughing, Shepard was able to smile happily and thank him. "In all honesty though, Joker. I appreciate it." She grabbed a card from her boot. "Here. Apparently you can build a lot of money from interest if you're dead for three years."

Raising an eyebrow, the star pilot smiled. "Oh really. Who would've guessed?" Joker ordered two drinks before turning back to Shepard. "So," he said, glancing her up and down again, "where did you get this outfit?"

"Stop gaping. I'll tell EDI," the Commander said in a sing-song teasing voice. "I actually got it in case I ever needed to go under cover. I guess this qualifies."

A human guy walked over, after much urging from his drunk friends. "Hey there, pretty lady. Wanna ditch this loser and come hang out with some real men?"

Shepard spun, giving the man a death glare. "Get lost."

Joker shook his head, chuckling. "I'd listen to her, buddy. Even I know not to get her angry."

"Aw, c'mon. Don't be like that." The guy put one of his hand's on Shepard's shoulder.

"Big mistake." Shepard closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Long-forgotten implants reactivated, and her body was surrounded by a bright red aura. She quickly opened her eyes. The man was tossed across the room. Before he fell onto a table, he ran into an invisible wall. "We warned you." She turned back to Joker.

The bartender laughed. "That's quite a trick, miss. I've never seen a biotic that managed to not make a mess of my bar. Next one's on me, alright?"

Joker laughed as well. "He's got a point, Commander. When'd you learn that trick?"

Shepard frowned, thinking. "Oh!" She smiled. "When I was eight."

Realization hit Joker. "Oh. I didn't even know that those worked."

"Eh. During my check-up, Monarch informed me that they were still there. I was pretty sure that they were gone." Shepard shrugged. "Pretty cool though, huh? One-of-a-kind!"

Joker smiled at Shepard's happiness. "Well, if it doesn't bother you, then I guess I shouldn't be bothered either. Want to go for a walk?"

"Sure." Turning to the bartender, the Commander added, "I guess I'll have to take you up on that offer another time."

The bartender smiled. "Next time you're here, I might offer you a job as a security guard." He laughed heartily. "You're welcome here anytime."

~ Break ~

"I always loved visiting Illium. It's such a beautiful planet."

Joker nodded in agreement. "No doubt."

"Joker? Is that you?"

Shepard turned to glare at Joker. "You should have worked harder on your outfit."

Joker shrugged, turning around. "Hey, Kaidan. Hey, Garrus."

Kaidan nodded. "I thought that was you. Who's your friend?"

Shepard turned around, feeling very amused. "Hiya there." She smiled.

Joker raised an eyebrow. "An old acquaintance. I haven't seen her in a quite a while."

Kaidan looked pretty amused. "Uh-huh. Whatever you say. There's no way that you could be friend's with such a beautiful girl. Don't you agree, Garrus?"

Garrus took a step back. "I'm not getting involved."

Joker gave a quick glance at Shepard before turning to look at Garrus. "Oh come on, big guy. You'll make her feel bad. We all know you have an opinion."

Garrus sighed. "Listen here, you two. Er, three. I've only got eyes for one woman, and that's Shepard. So, no offense, but she's the only one I'll be offering compliments to!"

Joker gave Shepard a small nod, saying that their hang out time was over anyway.

"So why don't you give me one, you big oaf?" Shepard put her hands on her hips. "Honestly, I love the loyalty, but if you're that loyal you should be able to recognize me."

Both Kaidan and Garrus' eyes widened as they looked over at Shepard.

"Oh please you two, you should shut your mouths or you'll catch flies!" Joker laughed. "What? Can't deal with the Commander in a disguise?"

Shepard stuck her tongue out, laughing. "Joker's got a point. Close your mouths you two." The two closed their mouths, their eyes still wide. "I wanted to be able to relax without being recognized." Her golden eyes sparkled brightly.

Kaidan and Garrus were about to respond when a voice interrupted them. "Hey! You're that chick from the bar right?"

Joker glared to his left. "Not him again," he muttered.

Five men walked up, each a different species. The one in the middle was a human that Shepard was much too familiar with because of her previous encounter. To his left there was a Turian and Salarian. On his right a Krogan and Batarian glared at Shepard.

Kaidan glanced at the two in confusion. "You know this guy?"

The human stepped forward. "Yeah! She tossed me across the bar! I got kicked out!"

Joker shrugged, smirking. "She sure did. Managed not to make a mess too. She's the bartender's new favorite."

"Well she's not getting out of this easily," the man said, glaring. "I brought friends this time!"

When Kaidan started to reach for his gun, Shepard raised her arm, a signal for him to stop. "I've got this one."

Kaidan and Garrus glanced at each other, then at Joker.

"She's got a few new skills. Well, I guess she's had them for a while."

A strange red glow surrounded the Commander as she stepped forward. "I think you've made another mistake. I'm not someone you want to mess with."

The Krogan laughed loudly. "Why don't you tell us your name so we can make sure they know who you are? After we're done anyway."

Laughing, the Commander smiled, slightly sadistically. The sparkle in her eyes was gone, and they were now dull. "Shepard. Commander Shepard."

~ Break ~

Monarch stood at the top of the steps. "If you don't mind me asking, Commander Shepard, why have you stopped using the implants?"

Shepard sighed. "If I used them too much, I lost sight of myself. I could go insane. The only thing that ever brought me back was a sedative. If that happens, is there any way you could alert Dr. Chakwas? I've almost killed people while I was in that state."

Monarch nodded. "The request is accepted. We shall do so, Commander Shepard. We would remove them, by you would receive significant brain trauma. However, Commander, when you use those implants, your life expectancy would likely decrease greatly."

Frowning, the woman in front of the AI nodded. "I know. Before I died that last time, I knew I probably only had three or four more years. I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone." She sighed. "I need to think, Monarch. You may take your leave."

"Of course, Mistress Shepard."

~ Break ~

"What is this?" Dr. Chakwas looked up from the small paging device in confusion.

"I was asked by Commander Shepard to give it to you. If it beeps, you must find her and give her a sedative. I shall not explain why. Knowing your Commander, she would prefer to tell you herself. However, in this state, she will not be the woman you know. She will be someone else entirely."

Slowly, the doctor nodded. "Alright. I'll keep a sedative on hand. Thank you, Monarch."

"Of course, Miss Karin."

~ Break ~

Shepard launched the group towards another biotic wall. "Why aren't you fighting?" she asked, her eyes wide and dull. Laughing hysterically, she added, "it's more fun that way!"

Joker, Kaidan, and Garrus watched in horror. What was going on?

The man stood up slowly. "What the hell is wrong with you? You must be some sort of biotic freak!"

Continuing to laugh hysterically, Shepard smiled evilly, adding a head tilt to make her appearance even creepier. She smoothed out her skirt. "Oh please. At least I don't hit on random people in bars. I may be a freak, but at least I'm not a creep!" With a single twitch of her middle finger, the man smashed into the ground."

Joker shook his head. "This doesn't make any sense! What's she doing?"

"Shepard was so happy, there's no way she just snapped. Right?" Kaidan questioned with a shrug.

"This isn't Shepard," Garrus said with conviction, his talons clenching. "What is that red glow anyway?"

"Some very special implants," Joker said with a sigh. "From the ones her mother put in."

Before the other two could respond, a familiar voice cut in, "Dr. Chakwas! Slow down! You can't just leave the ship!"

"Not now, Miranda! Monarch said that if this pager went off, then I'd have to sedate the Commander!"

The men turned, spotting both Dr. Chakwas and Miranda. Dr. Chakwas held a syringe in one hand, and a device that resembled a pager in the other.

"Where's Shepard?" Dr. Chakwas managed, breathing hard.

Kaidan slowly pointed in the direction Shepard was. "Over there, doc."

"Oh gods. Monarch said she wouldn't be herself, but-." She shook her head. "I can't think about that!" The doctor ran forward, jabbing the needle into the Commander's side.

Shepard turned, hissing. "How dare you!" With a flick of her fore finger, Shepard tossed Chakwas into the others, and she only got more angered when Kaidan managed to catch the woman. "You'll stand in my w-," Shepard paused, her brain slowing down. "Wa-." She frowned. "Way?" The red glow faded as Shepard knelt down. "Suddenly tired. Head hurts. What happened?" She fell down, unconscious for the time being.

~ Break ~

"Miranda?"

Miranda nodded at Kaidan grimly. "Yes. The implants are still there. They're pretty deeply implanted into her brain too."

Joker's voice sounded over the intercom. "Can you remove them?"

Shaking her head, Miranda turned back to look at the sleeping woman. "No. If I remove them, Shepard good die. Best case scenario, she would experience total memory loss."

"That's not it," Dr. Chakwas put in, observing the scene from her chair. "When used, I believe they might do some damage to the Commander's brain. Aside from turning her into that strange sadistic woman, that is."

Garrus looked up from Shepard, his talons interlaced with her hand. "Wait. What exactly does that mean for Shepard?"

"It means that every time she used her implants, Shepard lowers her life expectancy. It is unlikely that Shepard will live very long if she keeps this up." Dr. Chakwas stared at the data pad in her hand, shaking her head. "I have no way of knowing how much damage her brain has already taken."

Kaidan raised his hand. "Wait a minute. Shepard would have been using them at least a little during the war, right? Did she know about that before?"

A few moments passed by in silence until Dr. Chakwas nodded very slowly. "Yes. It is very likely that Shepard would only have survived five years after the war. If she was lucky."

Garrus' talons clenched a little, squishing the small hand in between them slightly. _'Is that why she wasn't afraid of dying? She already knew she was going to?' _Garrus' mandibles stuck closely to his face in the best example of a Turian frown.

Miranda punched the wall in between the windows. "Damn. I should have checked her over fully before!"

Garrus shook his head. "It doesn't matter. According to what Shepard told me, even Anderson didn't know about the implants when he adopted her."

The room around him froze.

"The alliance didn't know?"

Sighing, Garrus tilted his head to look at Kaidan. "That's what Shepard said. Those implants are not detectable by any radar."

Dr. Chakwas raised a hand. "If you're going to have this conversation, have it somewhere else. I need to figure out what to do about the implants." She gave a 'come over here' gesture to Miranda before looking back at her data pad.

Miranda obliged, giving a simple 'get out' gesture to the others.

~ Break ~

Leo sat on the steps to the main battery, watching the group. He had gained the gist of the conversation by reading the human's lips, and it didn't seem very pleasant at all. With a sigh, Leo leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

"Why does Princess' life have to be so hard? Why can't she get a break?"

Leo sat forward, placing his face in his hands.

"At least I can stay and help."

Leo stood, walking to the Starboard Observation Deck. He watched the starts go by as the Normandy flew along.

"As long as Princess is here, I know I've done the right thing."

He smiled with conviction, going to the crew's room to sleep in his bunk.


	14. Family?

Chapter 14

**My Comments :**

Yay! I'm still alive! After two life-and-death experiences in the past two weeks, I've been a little shaken up. Sorry! I shall start up twice as hard! \(^-^)/ Gosh that thing looks weird... I don't understand why people think it's cute. Anyway, enjoy! Oh, and do you readers think I should have another chapter specifically tailored towards the romance side, or should I continue with the storyline. Make sure to tell me! ^.^

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **The Invisible Pretender** : Personally, my main goal was for people to have mixed feelings. However, now _I _like him. That plan went out the window. And plus, if you were Shepard trying to relax after dying for a second time and having non-stop attention, wouldn't you want to beat the crap out of that creeper? ^.^''

**The Story :**

Shepard leaned up slowly, her head pounding. Glancing around the room, she quickly realized that she was in the Med Bay. _'What happened?'_ At trying to remember, Shepard felt her head hurt even more. _'Urgh. I'll ask someone later.' _Dr. Chakwas was asleep at her desk, drooling on a data pad. Next to Shepard, Miranda was sitting on a chair, the top half of her body on Shepard's bed. The XO snored quietly.

Carefully, Shepard detached herself from the bed, stepping on the cool floor. It didn't take long for the hero to realize that she was only wearing her skirt, tank top, and undergarments. Even her shoes were nowhere to be found.

"Great," Shepard muttered, slowly making her way to the door.

Once outside of the Med Bay, she activated her tactical cloak so she was safe from being seen. However, the ship seemed to be asleep. The mess was empty, aside from a single soldier who had fallen asleep at a table.

Shaking her head, Shepard chuckled quietly. "I wonder why everyone is so exhausted."

Shrugging, Shepard headed over to the elevator. After she pressed the button, a soft voice sounded from behind her;

"EDI? Was that you?"

Freezing, Shepard turned around. Kaidan stood there, staring at the control pad that had pressed itself. Shepard cursed lightly.

"W-who's there?"

"Shit." Shepard turned off her tactical cloak. "Hey, Kaidan."

Kaidan jumped. "S-Shepard!" His eyes widened. "Why aren't you in Med Bay?"

Rolling her eyes, Shepard leaned against the elevator door. "I woke up. Do you expect me to keep wearing this?"

"Well, n-no," he stammered, "but you shouldn't h-have left the Med Bay without Chakwas' approval!"

"Why? I'm not actually injured. I probably just passed out from exhaustion or something."

Realization hit Kaidan with the same impact a brick might. He took a step back. "You don't remember, do you?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Remember what? I was having drinks with Joker. We left the bar, and then nothing. It was probably exhaustion."

"That's not it." Kaidan shook his head. "According to Miranda and Dr. Chakwas, you used your implants."

Shepard froze again. "W-wait. Were you there?"

Slowly, Kaidan nodded. "Yeah. So were Joker and Garrus."

The door opened before Shepard could respond. She sat up slowly before crawling into the corner of the elevator and hugging her knees to her chest. Shepard looked absolutely horrified. "Oh goddess. Oh no. Why did I?" Tears started to flow down the Commander's cheeks.

Kaidan stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the personal cabin. "Shepard, relax."

"Did I kill anyone?" she asked quietly, her eyes wide with fear.

"No," Kaidan said with finality. "Chakwas tranquilized you."

"Oh. Thank the goddess." Shepard leaned back into the wall, still hugging her knees. "So you saw. Those were the implants my mother created." She tilted her head so she could look at Kaidan. "I'm sure you're already aware of the damage they do to my brain." After a confirmation nod from the Major, she continued to speak, "As well as the side effect. When using the implants, I become a different person. Well, same person, different personality." Shepard tried to wipe away the onslaught of tears, but couldn't manage. "My mother informed me of it one day. She called it 'Sadistic Shepard'. According to her research, I lose all sense of morals as well as the wish to live. I'd probably jump off a cliff if it meant that I could do whatever the hell made me go insane."

The door opened and Kaidan knelt down next to Shepard. "C'mon. You should change and relax a little. I'll tell you the whole story, alright?" Carefully, Kaidan slipped one arm behind Shepard's back and the other behind her knees. "Let's get into your room." The Major stood up, heading towards the room. He bumped the pad with his elbow, watching the door slide open.

"Kaidan? What are y-? Shepard?"

The questioner sat on the edge of the bed, his mandibles flared in surprise. The Turian had been previously laying on the bed staring at the ceiling when he heard the elevator.

"Hello, Garrus," Kaidan muttered curtly. He walked into the bathroom, putting Shepard down so she could stand. "I'll be right outside the door, alright?"

The woman nodded shakily, staring at his back as she left. She sighed quietly, turning to face the small hidden closet. "Let's see what I have."

~ Break ~

"You could go, you know."

Kaidan glared at Garrus from his perch next to the bathroom door. "So could you. I promised her that I'd be here for her."

Garrus rolled his eyes. "Like you could ever actually be there for her."

"I promised her that I would be from now on!" Kaidan almost shouted it, but tried extremely hard to make it so only he and Garrus could hear him.

"Do you guys always have to argue?"

Both men jumped a little, turning their heads to look at Shepard. She was wearing her usual off-duty Alliance uniform.

"Honestly why can't you both j-."

"Commander!"

Sighing, Shepard glared in the direction of the cockpit. "Yes, Joker?"

"A Cerberus fleet is approaching fast. The main ship is trying to open a video feed."

"On my way." She stopped at the elevator, turning around. "And if the both of you don't stop arguing, I will seriously have Javik throw you both out the airlock."

Garrus and Kaidan glanced at each other, both noting the seriousness in their Commander's voice.

~ Break ~

"EDI? Clean this up, please."

"Of course," came the robotic reply.

Shortly after, a clear image of a older human woman appeared. She wore a Cerberus lab coat that fit the group's scientists.

"Are you trying to instigate an attack? I'm sick of Cerberus. Trying to brainwash me was the last straw. Tell me why I shouldn't just blow up your whole fleet." Shepard was glaring at the image, venom lacing her voice.

The woman smiled kindly. "Please, my dear. We mean no harm. Everyone here are former Cerberus. We took ships and were trying to escape them."

"Uh-huh." Shepard crossed her arms, ready to cut the link and try out Garrus' new main cannon calibrations.

Bowing, the woman continued to smile. "It is an honor to meet the great Commander Shepard. I know that she was a wonderful young girl."

"Commander Shepard?"

Sighing, Shepard glared at the ceiling. "Yes, EDI?"

"This audio link is broadcasting throughout the ship. I cannot crack the code." The AI sounded very upset.

"It's alright, EDI." The hero turned her attention back to the hologram. "So. What exactly is it you want?"

The woman grinned, like the Cheshire Cat. "I want to take a look at the implants that I put in all those years ago, sweetie."

~ Break ~

Leo frowned. "I'm telling you. I've heard that voice before."

Liara sighed. "Calm down, Leo. It's probably just nerves."

"I know that she was a wonderful young girl."

Jumping, Leo's eyes widened. "No fucking way."

"What is it?"

"That's Mrs. Shepard's voice!" Leo bolted out of the room, heading straight for the elevator. "We need to keep Princess calm! We can't let those implants activate!"

~ Break ~

Shepard sighed, attempting to ignore the sounds of her crew on the other side of the airlock. She continued to pace, also ignoring the two people from her crew that had managed to get into the airlock despite her rush.

"EDI! Open the door!"

"I'm sorry, Garrus. I was ordered by Commander Shepard to not open that door."

Shepard rolled her eyes as Garrus cursed loudly. She raised her eyes to the other two in the airlock, Joker and Javik. Javik was, as always, in his armor with a Paladin and Particle Rifle resting easily on him. Joker was also, surprisingly, in his own set of armor. It appeared to be a mixture of types, focusing mostly on support. He had a Paladin and N7 Hurricane.

"Dammit! Tali, any luck hacking the door?"

"Not yet, Garrus."

Shepard sighed again, listening to Garrus say a few choice words about EDI. She glanced at herself. Javik had, luckily, grabbed her weaponry and armor on his way up. She was wearing the new-ish N7 armor she had only worn once, and had her personal Paladin, her Widow, and an Avenger.

"So how did you two know I was coming here anyway?" She held her hand up, pointing at Javik. "Wait. Scratch that. I know how _you_ knew I was going to be here." Switching her gaze to Joker, Shepard glared a little. "But how did you know?"

Joker smiled. "Call it a hunch."

"Hey! I hear a different voice! Shepard's not alone in there!"

Shepard walked over to the door, activating the cameras so everyone could see her group and she could see everyone outside. "Can you stop yelling already? You're going to give me a headache."

Tali jumped back from the wiring next to the door, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. "S-Shepard!"

Liara's eyes widened. "Shepard? Do you have Joker in there?"

The rest of the group outside the door – Kaidan, Garrus, Tali, and Leo – froze in surprise, their gazes switching to Joker.

Shepard shrugged. "He got here before I did. So did Javik. Besides, he's got armor and guns, so I'm not going to complain."

A voice interrupted the groups, "Commander Shepard? The other ship has finished connection. Pressure is now equalized. Doors now opening. Connecting video feed from camera hidden on your armor."

"Thanks, EDI," Shepard said, smiling. She spotted Garrus' mandibles widen in a slightly worried smirk. _'At least he knows I'm not going in without some sort of assistance.'_

The door slid open slowly, revealing a young man in a Cerberus uniform. "Hello, Miss Shepard." His eyes widened upon seeing Joker and Javik. "O-oh, um, p-please come this way."

Shepard nodded. "Of course. Joker. Javik. Let's go."

~ Break ~

"Would you be willing to relinquish your weapons?" The man asked, standing in between the group and the door that led to the room where Shepard's mother was.

"No," Shepard said quickly, her glare causing the man to slink out of the way with a small whimper.

The door slid open smoothly, revealing a small office. A desk was in the center, in front of a window. A few pictures that couldn't be seen from where Shepard was standing were on the otherwise barren desk. A leather desk chair was facing away from them, the woman in it staring out the window. Once inside, the door shut behind them.

The woman spun around so she could see the group. The woman was tall, though slightly shorter than Shepard. Her deep red hair was cut into a simple bob that covered her ears. Green eyes surveyed the group critically. She did however, resemble a model in her knee-length black dress with matching stilettos. After grabbing a lab coat from a drawer of her desk and slipping it on, she stood up, walking to the front of the desk.

"Hello, sweetie. And friends. My name is Espie Shepard. I am your Commander's mother."

Shepard clenched her fists. "Yeah. This is the bitch who let everyone I knew die."

Espie chuckled. "Now now, dear. It isn't completely my fault. If you didn't hide so much, then everyone would still be alive."

Joker took a step forward, his armor reducing his limp to a non-existent status. "It isn't Shepard's fault! Why don't you stop treating her like a thing and start treating her like the person she is!"

Glaring at the offending male, Espie smiled. "Why don't you introduce me to your friends, sweetie."

"Don't call me that," Shepard's voice was laced with venom, "this is Joker. He's my pilot, and the best one in the whole damn galaxy too. This is Javik. He's one of my best fighters."

The woman leaned against her desk. "I don't believe I'm familiar with you species, Javik. Are you a mix."

"No," Javik said, his voice having slightly less venom than his Commander's, "I am Prothean."

Espie's eyes widened. "What? You have a real Prothean as an ally, sweetie? I'm impress-"

"I said don't fucking call me that!" A light red aura began to surround Shepard.

"Comm link established. All three party members are now linked to the Normandy," EDI spoke into the earpieces the three team members had.

Garrus' voice was the next to speak. "Shepard. Relax. We're here for you. Don't let her antagonize you."

Shepard managed a smile, but the red glow didn't vanish. "Thanks, Garrus."

~ Break ~

"Thanks, Garrus."

Garrus nodded, removing his talon from the signature eye piece that doubled as his ear piece. "I hope she doesn't get too angry with us."

Tali sighed. "I hope we left enough troops on the Normandy, just in case."

Kaidan shrugged, almost missing the turn as his footsteps echoed in the hallway. "The Normandy is fine. Shepard needs us now."

Leo stayed silent, not really knowing what to say. He kept his gaze forward. _'The faster we get there, the better.'_

Garrus nodded. "Here we are!" The Cerberus man they all recognized stood in front of the door. "Hey! Let us in!"

The man jumped. "I-I'm sorry! I can't do that! This meeting is private!"

Leo sighed in annoyance, drawing his pistol. "Let us in."

Kaidan looked a Leo in surprise before following his example. "Not doing so would be hazardous for your health."

The man nodded, opening the door. "S-sorry. Go right in."

Before them, Shepard's fists were clenched in annoyance, and she was slightly in front of the others. Javik's right hand was hovering over the gun at his waist, Joker doing the same. The four ran in, standing defensively behind Shepard.

"Oh?" Espie smiled. "How rude. Perhaps you should introduce yourselves?"

Leo stepped forward, opting to stand next to Javik. "Mrs. Shepard! Stop being rude to Princess!"

"Ah!" Espie lost her composure for a moment. "You survived too, Leonardo?"

Kaidan stepped up, standing next to Joker. "Why don't you just leave Shepard alone?"

Tali followed Kaidan's example, standing next to him. "You have no reason to antagonize Shepard!"

Garrus was frozen at the moment, unsure what to do first. After noting Shepard's signals from his visor, he walked forward so he was next to her. "I don't care who you are; you have no right to treat Shepard this way."

Espie regained her composure, glaring at the newcomers. "I told you to introduce yourselves!"

Shepard took a deep breath. "This is Major Spectre Kaidan Alenko, also one of my best men. This is Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, my best engineer. You already know Leo. And this is Garrus Vakarian," she paused for a moment, unsure how to phrase the next part considering she never bluntly said it.

"Like it matters. You should know by now that this was all a trap. My troops have already secured the Normandy and silenced that ridiculous AI."

Shepard froze, tapping her ear piece. "EDI? EDI! Give me a status report!" No response came, and the red glow became extremely apparent. "You bitch!" Shepard stepped forward, the floor crushing a little under the pressure.

"No!" her crew yelled, trying to stop her. When anyone tried to touch her, an intense, searing pain went up their arms.

"How dare you even live!" Shepard took another step forward. "I think you should die. Right now. You and all your stupid underlings." A small chuckle escaped her lips.

Espie laughed. "Yay! We got to Sadistic Shepard. I have succeeded. Oof!" Espie smashed into the ceiling, falling onto her desk.

"Now how to kill you." Shepard smiled widely, laughing wildly. "How about tearing you apart, molecule by molecule?" After snapping her fingers, Espie began to scream in pain. "That's such a lovely sound, _mother._ I wish it were louder though." Shepard pouted, snapping her fingers again. Espie started to scream louder, tears going down her face. "I hate everything about you, _mother._ Especially that you look like me."

Garrus steeled his courage, stepping forward. "Shepard!" He grabbed her shoulder turning her around. "You need to stop!"

The Commander snarled. "You dare stop me?" Her body heated more.

Garrus ignored the searing pain. "You need to stop. This isn't you, Shepard."

"This _is_ me. It always will be," the Commander growled, "now get out of my way."

Garrus glanced around the room. "I need to snap you out of this!" Garrus wrapped his arms tightly around Shepard, and he lowered his face, kissing her.

The group froze, most of them in surprise, though Kaidan froze in anger.

For about twenty seconds, the Commander lashed about, screaming obscenities. After that however, she quieted down, her body becoming limp. Her arms slowly moved up, wrapping around Garrus as the red glow faded.

"Th-thank you, Garrus."

Garrus detached himself, his mandibles widened in a smile. "Anytime, Shepard."

Shepard nodded, but her smile quickly turned into a frown. "What about the Normandy?"

Kaidan spun on his heels, opening the door. The man on the other side jumped, confusion written on his face.

"Huh? Are you all done? Should I escort you back to your ship?"

Shepard stepped forward. "Wait. You mean you didn't take over the Normandy?"

The man looked horrified. "No! Why would we do that?"

~ Break ~

"Hey, EDI? Is the Comm System operational again?"

"No," the AI's platform said calmly, fiddling with a control panel.

Liara sighed. "I assumed as much. I wonder what's going on."

Grunt shifted from foot to foot. "I'm getting anxious."

"Relax, Grunt. I don't think they're going to attack us," the Shadow Broker mumbled, staring at her screens.

Chakwas ran into Liara's room, out of breath. "The pager went off!"

Liara shook her hand dismissively. "Garrus brought a sedative." She looked away from the screens. "I wonder what set her off though."


	15. The Final Goodbyes

Chapter 15

**My Comments :**

I've recently started watching videos of the DLC packs, so I may start to mention something quotes or scenarios from them. However, if they interfere with my story, I'll kick them out the airlock and pretend they don't exist. Oh, and when Joker is reading to the whole ship in this chapter, I won't be sticking a bunch of ~ Breaks ~ in, so I'm sorry if it's hard to follow. I cried while writing this one... I hope that means it came out alright. And I'm sorry it's shorter, I just didn't feel right adding any more on.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ The Invisible Pretender** :** You always review... You're my favorite reader now! Congratulations! Anyway, at the end of the last chapter, I was seriously debating whether or not to have the chapter end by Javik throwing her out the airlock. I guess you'll have to read to find out what does happen to her ^.^ I'm starting to be pretty mixed feelings about him myself. Maybe I should start planning these chapters ahead of time...

**The Story :**

"_Lucky for you, Archangel is your boyfriend."_

Shepard smiled at the memory. As she sat there, waiting for the crew to finish preparations to land on a nearby planet, reliving memories was actually becoming quite nice.

"_Kill the other Shepard's crew!"_

"_But they've got a Krogan! Why don't we have a Krogan?"_

Shepard covered her mouth, attempting not to laugh at the specific memory. She leaned back on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"_I think the Turian they have with them is Archangel! How the hell are we supposed to beat him?!"_

Shepard chuckled. _'That's right. Fear the pissed off Turian boyfriend of the woman you're trying to assassinate!'_ She grabbed a hair-tie, trying her hair into a simple pony tail.

"_At this point, anything's possible."_

"_Like waking up and finding out you have a clone?"_

"_I don't want to talk about it."_

The Commander found herself frowning a little. That clone had been pretty annoying. She smiled again at her reaction to getting on the Normandy;

"_If you'd told me this morning that a toothbrush would save the Normandy, I would've been skeptical."_

"I really love Traynor's toothbrush. Maybe I should get one," she muttered with a broad smile. Shepard reached behind the bed, tapping a secret panel. Once it was opened, she grabbed the small book inside.

"My journal," she muttered, scrolling through the pages and stopping near the end.

The page read, "I heard the best thing yesterday from a very drunk Grunt. He muttered, 'Salarian's have wiggly arms'. It may have been a party, but that made my day. Of course, there was that time a little before that. I believe it was Jack and Miranda. Jack said something about hating Miranda, but she had fantastic tits anyway. Miranda just agreed, saying she 'could live with that'. Even before that I watched Joker make a fool of himself in front of EDI. Still, my new estimate says that I have five years, tops. I'm glad I can enjoy these moments before I die."

Shepard frowned, realizing that she was crying a little. A previous tear stain was joined by another. She flipped the pages again, stopping at the last entry;

"We're heading to Earth. It's the final push. The crew is nervous and upset, but their desire to win is the strongest I'd ever seen. I haven't mentioned it to anyone else, but I know this will probably be my last entry. Whether I die from pushing someone out of the way, jumping in front of a bullet, or just making sure someone gets where they have to go, I am probably going to die. No matter what happens, I will tell everyone that everyone will live. They all so much hope in me, but I don't think I can do it. Earlier, I figured out exactly what to say to Garrus to keep his spirits up. It's probably going to make it worse when I don't make it out, but I know it'll make him try his hardest. In case someone finds this after I'm gone, please tell Garrus that I love him. Tell Kaidan that I'm sorry. Make sure Tali knows how proud I felt when she became vas Normandy, even if I never really told her. Liara? I want her to know how glad I am that I helped her out of those mines that day, not to mention how happy I was when I met her again on Mars. Aw damn, I'm getting the page wet. Anyway, make sure that Grunt and Wrex kick some ass for me. Same goes for Jack. And Miranda? She needs to know that even though we never really got along, I was always glad that she was my XO. Chakwas, I guess I won't be able to share that drink with her, huh? Make sure she knows I'm sorry. As for Ashley, I'll make sure she knows how much you all cared for her. Ah, Jacob. Thanks for everything. When I first woke up after my reconstruction, you kept me grounded. Thanks for that. Mordin, I have no idea where he went off to, but he always managed to say the right thing. I always appreciated it, even if I never said it. And tell Samara, no need to worry about me. I know that she would worry, even if she never showed it. And goddess, tell Kolyat I'm sorry. It's all my fault about Thane. Tell James that I know he'll make the perfect N7 soldier. He never needed me to become one, despite what he thought. Cortez? His skills outmatched mine anytime. I'm sure the crew appreciated him just as much as I did. And EDI, I'm glad that she was unshackled that day. I hope that after this is all over, she can live happily with Joker. And Javik, if he's still around, tell him I'm glad. I'm glad he can finally relax since the Reapers would have been defeated. Make sure to tell Joker that I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to watch over him and the Normandy. I'm sorry everyone. And Garrus? Just remember what I'm going to tell you later today. There is no Shepard without Vakarian. Live your life so I know I didn't waste mine. Please, just move on, Garrus. I love you, but I don't want you to grieve over someone as silly as me."

Shepard wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. She sniffled a few times before breaking out into full-blown sobbing. How could she have ever felt that?

~ Break ~

Joker turned on the Comm, freezing. _'Is that Shepard?' _He quickly turned it back off. "I think I'll give her a few minutes."

"Huh?" Behind him, Garrus' mandible flared in confusion. "Shouldn't you be telling Shepard that we're almost ready to dock?"

"Well, um, I don't think now is the best time," Joker muttered, still debating what to do.

"EDI? Can you call Shepard?"

EDI nodded slowly. "Of course, Garrus. It is now open."

Garrus froze at the sound of crying. "Oh spirits. What's wrong now?" He turned, running towards the elevator.

~ Break ~

Shepard wiped away some more tears, holding the journal away from her so she didn't ruin that page. That day, she had just barely hidden the journal before Garrus came up. The fact that it was still there meant that no one had read it. Shepard wasn't sure whether to be sad or glad, especially since she ended up coming back.

"Shepard!" Garrus burst into the room, jumping over the stairs and embracing his girlfriend. "What's wrong?"

Shepard smiled, still sniffling. "Oh, I was just reading something."

Garrus looked up from his Commander, spotting the secret alcove. After looking around for a few moments, he spotted the journal. "That's paper," he said simply.

Shepard nodded. "Yeah. It's my journal." She handed it to him. "I'm kicking you out of my cabin by the way. Go ahead and read it. I assume that crackle earlier was Joker, so we must be close. I'm going to shower."

Garrus nodded slowly, not really fighting with her as she pushed him out of the cabin.

~ Break ~

"What's got you so intent over there, big guy?" Joker glanced over at the co-pilot's seat that had been taken over by Garrus.

Garrus looked up, confusion written on his face. "Shepard's journal, apparently. She wrote about everything in here." He tilted his head. "Everything." Garrus turned the page again. "Huh. It's the last one."

Joker watched Garrus out of the corner of his eye. After a few seconds, and a couple translations, Garrus' eyes began to widen. His body began to tremble a little. One of his talons raised to cover his mouth.

"Big guy?"

Garrus handed the journal to Joker, his eyes started to water. Joker shrugged, grabbing the book. As he skimmed the page, his own eyes started to water. He coughed a few times before turning around so he could see EDI's platform.

"EDI? I need to read something to the crew. Right now."

"Of course, Jeff. Is everything alright?"

Joker nodded, spinning around. "Yeah. I think we just learned something about our Commander, though.

~ Break ~

Shepard yawned, stepping out of the shower. "Hm?" she muttered, hearing a familiar crackling noise.

"The day that we defeated the Reapers, Commander Shepard wrote some words about her thoughts."

She froze, staring at the ceiling. "Dammit, Garrus! I didn't think you'd let Joker read it to the whole crew!"

"Thought no one found it, I think it's only fair everyone hears what Shepard wanted to say."

"No! Dammit Joker!"

~ Break ~

"_We're heading to Earth. It's the final push. The crew is nervous and upset, but their desire to win is the strongest I'd ever seen. I haven't mentioned it to anyone else, but I know this will probably be my last entry. Whether I die from pushing someone out of the way, jumping in front of a bullet, or just making sure someone gets where they have to go, I am probably going to die. No matter what happens, I will tell everyone that everyone will live. They all so much hope in me, but I don't think I can do it."_

Liara stared blankly at the ceiling of her room. "Oh my Goddess. Shepard didn't think she was going to survive?"

Tali looked up from her work on the engine wiring. "Keelah, Shepard." Her eyes were wide.

"_Earlier, I figured out exactly what to say to Garrus to keep his spirits up. It's probably going to make it worse when I don't make it out, but I know it'll make him try his hardest. In case someone finds this after I'm gone, please tell Garrus that I love him."_

Garrus stared at his feet, unable to move even the slightest.

"_Tell Kaidan that I'm sorry."_

Kaidan sucked in his breath, looking up from the bar in the Starboard Observation. "Shepard?" He pounded his fist on the bar. "Why? Why didn't you want to live?!"

"_Make sure Tali knows how proud I felt when she became vas Normandy, even if I never really told her."_

Tali's hand rose to her mask as she gasped. "Keelah, Shepard. I-I never knew!" She started to cry, placing her masked face in her hands.

"_Liara? I want her to know how glad I am that I helped her out of those mines that day, not to mention how happy I was when I met her again on Mars. Aw damn, I'm getting the page wet."_

Liara's gasped, her already puffy eyes still gushing water. "By the Goddess, Shepard! Why didn't-." Liara stopped. "You wanted us to live on for you! Why?!" She buried her face in her hands, collapsing on her bed.

"_Anyway, make sure that Grunt and Wrex kick some ass for me. Same goes for Jack."_

Wrex and Grunt stared blankly at each other before nodding. Their war cry reverberated the whole ship.

Jack wiped away a tear before the Krogan in front of her saw it. "Always, Shepard. I'll always be kicking some ass for you."

"_And Miranda? She needs to know that even though we never really got along, I was always glad that she was my XO."_

Miranda glanced at the empty Med Bay bed in front of her. "Shepard," she muttered, trailing off.

"_Chakwas, I guess I won't be able to share that drink with her, huh? Make sure she knows I'm sorry."_

Dr. Chakwas walked up next to Miranda, her own tears joining Miranda's on the. "Oh, Shepard."

"_As for Ashley, I'll make sure she knows how much you all cared for her."_

Kaidan took another shaky breath. "She was still thinking about Ashley. Gods, Commander. It wasn't your fault."

Garrus lowered his head even more.

"_Ah, Jacob. Thanks for everything. When I first woke up after my reconstruction, you kept me grounded. Thanks for that."_

Miranda smiled lightly through her tears, taking out her Omni-tool to send a message to Jacob.

"_Mordin, I have no idea where he went off to, but he always managed to say the right thing. I always appreciated it, even if I never said it."_

"Shepard," muttered Garrus, slowly opening his Omni-Tool to send a message to the Salarian Councilor.

"_And tell Samara, no need to worry about me. I know that she would worry, even if she never showed it."_

Liara smiled through her tears, walking to her monitors to send a message to the Justicar.

"_And goddess, tell Kolyat I'm sorry. It's all my fault about Thane."_

Liara shook her head, still crying. She opened another message.

"_Tell James that I know he'll make the perfect N7 soldier. He never needed me to become one, despite what he thought."_

James looked up in surprise. "Lola," he muttered, moving towards the center of the Shuttle Bay and staring at the ceiling.

"_Cortez? His skills outmatched mine anytime. I'm sure the crew appreciated him just as much as I did."_

Cortez walked over so that he stood next to James. "Jeez," he said quietly. He hadn't cried since he stopped listening to that recording.

"_EDI, I'm glad that she was unshackled that day. I hope that after this is all over, she can live happily with Joker."_

EDI's platform smiled. "And I am glad that I was unshackled that day, Commander."

"_And Javik, if he's still around, tell him I'm glad. I'm glad he can finally relax since the Reapers would have been defeated."_

Javik pounded one of the basins. "There is no point in living without the avatar of bravery!"

"_Make sure to tell Joker that I'm," _Joker's voice cracked as he read this particular part,_ "sorry I couldn't keep my promise to watch over him and the Normandy_."

Joker took a deep breath, not speaking into the microphone. "It's not your fault," he muttered, turning his attention back to the journal.

"_I'm sorry everyone."_

Specialist Traynor grabbed onto one of the other crying crew mates in the CIC.

Donnelly and Daniels hugged each other, both crying their eyes out.

"_And Garrus? Just remember what I'm going to tell you later today. There is no Shepard without Vakarian. Live your life so I know I didn't waste mine. Please, just move on, Garrus. I love you, but I don't want you to grieve over someone as silly as me."_

Garrus stood shakily. He spoke so loudly that everyone heard him over the Comm;

"_Do you really think that any of us would not grieve over you, Shepard?!"_


	16. Welcome Back

Chapter 16

**My Comments :**

More stuff? Nothing real exciting has been happening... So enjoy! ^.^ I'm starting to run out of name ideas... I even used my own name earlier -.-

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ The Invisible Pretender** : **Haha, I wasn't trying to get better reviews. Any review at all works, and you've stuck through this whole time. And listening to the depressing Mass Effect music in the background probably didn't help with the whole emotional thing. As I'm writing this, we'll both have to see what kind of excuse the big guy manages to come up with. Besides, what the does the red-tape hating Turian know about human dating? XD ( ← That face creeps me out too) And I promise to try and write more. I'll try to keep your withdrawals from getting to serious. ^.^''

~ samus420 **: **I'm glad my writing was profound enough for you ^.^ I enjoy writing, so I'll try to keep some coming out for everyone!

**The Story :**

Shepard sighed, her hand nervously tapping the side of the elevator. For the fifth time, she checked her armor. She started tapping the side of the elevator again.

"Shepard?"

"Yes, EDI?" Shepard asked with a sigh, staring at the ceiling.

"You need to hit a button in order for the elevator to move."

Glaring, the Commander sighed. "I know, EDI." Shakily, she tapped the button labeled 'CIC'. "One step at a time, Shep. I'm sure everyone's just going to be annoyed at the first part or something. Anger, I can deal with."

The elevator made a small noise as it came to a stop. The elevator doors slowly slid open, revealing a CIC with way too many people for Shepard's taste.

"Shepard," Liara yelled, almost tackling the Commander to the ground as she stepped out of the elevator. "W-why? Why didn't you think you were going to live? Why did you want us to live on instead?" Tears streamed down her face.

Shepard smiled, patting Liara's back. "Pull yourself together, Liara. Take a breath."

Another pair of arms surrounded Shepard. "Keelah, Shepard," said the Quarian in a small voice. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"What's up with all these whys?"

Behind the Commander, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her neck. "Try not to die on us again, Shepard. I don't mind kicking ass for ya, but you need to be around for it."

Shepard smiled, but all these sad people were starting to surprise her. Words were starting to get jumbled together before they even came out.

Miranda joined the hug next, managing to avoid touching Jack in the process. "C'mon, Shep. None of us would know to do without you."

Chakwas followed Miranda's example, her throat still closed from crying too much.

Shepard finally managed to push them away, lightly and carefully. "Will you guys relax? I'm here aren't I?"

Joker limped over. "Yeah, but two of your entries mention your death."

Managing a glare, she directed it at the pilot. "Yes. By the way, Garrus is going to pay for letting you read my journal to the whole ship."

Miranda raised her hand. "Wait. You said two?"

Joker nodded, flipping to a specific page. "Still, my new estimate says that I have five years, tops. I'm glad I can enjoy these moments before I die." He looked up. "Written the day after her party."

Shepard shrugged. "Yes. Your point? If I had told all of you that I wouldn't survive the war, or very long after it for that matter, would you have tried as hard as you did." There was no response. "That's what I thought. If you hadn't been at your best, it would have been pretty hard to win that fight."

Kaidan took a step forward. "And you left final words for us anyway? Shepard, we were fighting behind you the whole time."

"There's no point in fighting if you wouldn't be there to celebrate the victory, Lola."

Shepard's mind wandered to what Garrus had said before she had gotten dressed. _'Do you really think that any of us would not grieve over you, Shepard?!'_ She smiled lightly, a tear welling up in her right eye.

"Everyone had their own goals going into that fight," Shepard managed, holding back her tears. "Mine was to make sure that my people got out safe. No matter the cost." She clenched her fists. "If any of you had died during that fight, I never would have forgiven myself." Taking a deep breath, the Commander continued, "you may have been fighting behind me, but I was fighting for everyone of you. Don't for a second think that I went in there wanting to die."

Her crew slowly nodded, and Shepard made her way to the cockpit. "Joker. Come here. You need to pilot the ship."

"Er, right Commander."

~ Break ~

_'Talk about awkward,'_ Joker thought as Shepard looked over his shoulder, Garrus sitting in the co-pilot's seat.

Shepard sighed, checking once more to make sure the cockpit was closed off. "Hey, Garrus?"

Joker could hear the former mercenary gulp in fear. "Yes, Shepard?" The Turian stared forward, too afraid to look his human girlfriend in the face.

"If you pull a stunt like that again, I'm abandoning you on a barren planet. A very cold one." Shepard turned her head to him, smiling. A smile that made her boyfriend only more afraid. "A journal is meant to be private." She added a glare to the smile. "I let you read it for a reason."

Garrus nodded slowly. "I-I understand, Shepard."

Sighing in relief, the hero smiled. "Good. Now I don't have to be angry at you anymore."

A _ping_ interrupted the group. "Hm?" Shepard opened her Omni-tool. "A message from Mordin?" _Ping._ "Jacob?" _Ping._ "Kolyat?!" Realization hit Shepard. "Oh, damn you all. I hate you all so much right now." She buried her face in her hands.

Joker proceeded to laugh loudly, before wiping some tears away. "You couldn't hate us, could you, Commander?"

Shaking her head, Shepard smiled. "No. I couldn't. No verbally anyway. Only in my head." She smirked when Joker feigned hurt. "Anyway, I need to pick my ground team." Shepard turned around, scrolling through the list. "Perfect."

_Ping._ Garrus nodded. "I'll go get my guns, Shepard." Garrus left the room, ignoring the inquisitive stares.

_Ping._ "Huh?" Joker looked at his Omni-tool. "S-Shepard?! You want me to come?"

Shepard shrugged, smirking. "With that armor, you've become a permanent member of the ground team. Besides, EDI can take care of the Normandy."

"C-commander!"

"Are you really going to fight me Joker?"

"Urgh. No, Commander."

"That's what I thought. See you in the shuttle."

~ Break ~

Liara watched Garrus as he entered the elevator. She took a deep breath walking through the mess and into the main battery.

"Okay, Garrus. Where did you leave that book?"

Liara began shuffling through some of the boxes, growling in annoyance when she didn't find what she was she was looking for. Hidden between two boxes and a wall, the Shadow Broker finally found the information she was looking for.

"Liara," came a familiar warning voice behind the offending Asari.

"K-Kaidan!" Liara jumped up, turning around. She hid the book behind her back.

"What are you doing?" he asked calmly, already having a good idea of what the truth was.

"Garrus asked me to look for something for him. He was a part of the ground team and-"

"Liara."

Liara stared at the ground, holding out the journal. "I was looking for this."

Kaidan rubbed his temples with his left hand. "Liara. You may be the Shadow Broker, but you should know better."

The Asari sighed loudly. "I need to know what Shepard wrote about." Liara went to pull her hand back, but dropped the book instead. A small panel fell off of the back cover. "Huh?" She slowly picked up the book, grabbing what was inside. "By the Goddess," Liara muttered, shocked.

"Liara?" Kaidan walked out Liara so he could the picture over her shoulder. The picture was of Shepard on her 16th birthday, Major Geo on one side, Anderson on the other. Anderson had his arm around his adopted daughter's shoulder, a large smile on his face. Major Geo was holding a gift bag. In the middle, Shepard was holding a rifle that was obviously a gift from Anderson. "Isn't that the rifle she keeps in her cabin?" Kaidan remembered a rifle that sat in the corner of Shepard's cabin, unused.

Liara nodded. "No wonder she only trusted Garrus with it," she muttered, carefully slipping the picture in the hidden compartment. "There." Liara put it back slowly. "I-." She sighed. "I'll ask Shepard if I can copy it later."

Kaidan laughed, patting the depressed looking Shadow Broker on the back. "It'll be alright, Liara. Not even the greatest information broker in the galaxy can know everything."

~ Break ~

Garrus stretched his neck, rolling it. Waiting to get off the ship always seemed to take the longest.

"Hey, big guy."

The Turian turned in surprise, watching a fully armored Joker step out of the cockpit, giving a last forlorn look towards the controls.

"Joker? You're coming?"

The pilot nodded. "Yeah. Shepard said I proved myself enough to come. Besides, everyone else is too emotional to go."

Garrus chuckled. "You've got a point. Are you sure you can handle being away from the Normandy for so long?"

Taking another forlorn look at the cockpit, Joker sighed. "EDI won't let anything happen to her original body. She cares about the Normandy just as much as I do."

"What's up with you, Joker?" a familiar feminine voice asked. "You aren't acting as happy as usual."

Joker spun around, facing his Commander. "Yeah, well, when you force a pilot out of his pilot's chair, he tends to feel that way." He smiled, showing that he was joking.

"That's better," Shepard said, smiling. "Ready to go, team?"

Garrus and Joker nodded, both feeling that this was something they could get used to.

~ Break ~

The man from the Cerberus vessel bowed. "I am so sorry, Commander Shepard. We reviewed the footage. We'd never realized that she was like that."

Garrus watched Shepard raise an eyebrow, and he racked his brain as to what that particular human gesture meant.

"It's fine. I'd thought she was dead anyway."

The man nodded, standing up straight. "My name is Kendall, Kendall Glades. Believe it or not, I'm the leader of these refugees. Espie had asked that she borrow my office for a private discussion. And," Kendall laughed nervously, "your guns scared me a little."

Joker smiled, laughing happily. "What do ya know, Commander? There's Cerberus, er, ex-Cerberus, that're afraid of guns!"

Garrus nodded. "He's not lying," he muttered, checking the man's vitals on his eye piece.

Shepard shook her head, smirking. "It's alright, Glades. My partner here would be able to tell if you were lying. Before we head off of this abandoned planet, is there anything else you'd like?"

Kendall smiled lightly. "Yes, actually. We have someone on board who knows you. She said that she's willing to bring and watch the prisoner on board for you."

"Huh? Someone who knows me?"

"Said she owes you something. No idea why or what." Kendall shrugged, tapping his earpiece. "Come on out. Bring the prisoner's containment unit."

A few moments later, a large metallic canister was brought out by a few soldiers. They saluted to Shepard before walking back towards their ship. A blue-skinned woman nodded at them before advancing on the group, four red plates shining slightly in the light from the solar system's sun.

Her voice was smooth, and a smile, that was only noticed by Shepard, rested easily on her face. "Commander Shepard. I wish I had been on the correct ship to lend assistance."

Shepard smiled. "No problem, Samara. It's good to see you again."

"Yes. Especially since you tried to shoot me the last time."

Rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment, Shepard chuckled. "Y-yeah."

The Justicar opened her Omni-tool. "I was sent a message by Liara. Is the statement true?"

The Commander froze. "Dammit, Liara! Does everyone know?"

Samara nodded. "I assumed so. I appreciate the sentiment."

"So, uh, why are you traveling with ex-Cerberus."

"I was hunting those who tried to kill you, Shepard."

"Right," the hero said, dragging the word out. "Whatever you say, Samara. We should be going though. Any idea on how we get this thing aboard?"

The Asari started glowing blue, raising the container with a simple raise of her hand.

"Well then. That works. Goodbye, Glades. Thanks for the help."

Glades shook his head vigorously. "No! I should be thanking you! Goodbye, Commander Shepard!"

~ Break ~

Shepard paced the length of her cabin, doing a mental check of the people on her ship and where they were staying so she could check in on them later.

Garrus was still staying in the main battery, though Shepard contemplated sending him a message with the offer of staying with her. He seemed pretty content, though he tended to not complain anyway.

Samara was staying with the prisoner – AKA Mrs. Espie Shepard – in the Life Support Control Room. EDI had mentioned that Samara seemed slightly uncomfortable, but when asked, merely stated that 'it would be the best place for their prisoner'.

Javik had been staying Port Side Cargo Room with his basins. He didn't say much, though he had contacted Shepard a few times whenever her emotions started to bother him. _'Like I can help that,'_ Shepard thought to herself with a frown.

Grunt and Wrex were both staying in Allers' old room. At least the room was mostly empty so they didn't make a mess of things. Every once in a while, she got a noise complaint, but she ignored them. She didn't feel like dying from a Krogan headbutt.

Tali was staying in engineering, as usual. She hadn't really talked to Shepard that much, so the Commander added her to the high priority section of her mind.

Liara was staying in her cabin with Leo. Leo was apparently sleeping in her desk chair so he could avoid the rest of the crew. Liara didn't mind – or at least she didn't say she minded – and slept in her bed, whenever it was that she slept anyway.

Kaidan had taken to sleeping on the couch in the Port Observation Deck. He like to be the first to greet Shepard in the morning when she came to breakfast. She'd have to mention how weird that was getting.

Miranda and Chakwas were staying in the Med Bay. Apparently, they both slept in the crew's quarters, but Shepard wasn't so sure. It was pretty suspicious to her. Besides, she'd heard that Miranda had been visiting Jack in her 'hidey-hole' in Engineering a lot.

EDI didn't really sleep, but she spent most of her time with Joker in the cockpit anyway. Shepard knew for a fact that no matter what he said, he slept in that chair.

James slept in his little inlet in the Shuttle Bay and Cortez slept in the shuttle. She made a note to talk to him about that.

Nodding, Shepard was pretty sure her mental list was done. Immediately, she opened her Omni-tool, sending Garrus a message to come see her. She sat on the couch, taking a deep relaxing breath.

"Ah, I'm glad things are back to a moderate amount of normal." The hero smiled. "I've got my crew, other than Jacob, Mordin," Shepard's voice cracked, "Thane, and Ashley." She sighed. "It's too bad I didn't have the Reaper's under control then. I could've saved them."

Garrus knocked lightly. "Shepard? You wanted to see me?"

"Come in!" Shepard jumped up, suddenly happy again.

Garrus walked in slowly, seeming slightly afraid that Shepard was still mad at him. "Is there something you needed?"

The Commander nodded. "Yes. I was going through a list of the crew when something crossed my mind; are you still staying in the Main Battery?"

"Yes?" Garrus said, unsure where the conversation was going.

"Why not stay here instead?" Shepard noticed his mandible flare in surprise. "I mean, it's got to be more comfortable, right?"

Garrus' mandibles finally settled with a Turian smile. "I'd love to, Shepard. However, I have a question for you too."

Shepard knitted her eyebrows together. "Oh?" she asked, suddenly suspicious.

"A while ago, you told your story to the councilors. There were holes in your story. You kept mentioning 'something' that made you both doubt your decision and want to keep going. What was it?"

The Commander's eyes widened. _'Damn. I should have known he'd figure it out.'_ She smiled. "Not something. Some_one_."

Garrus tilted his head in confusion. "Someone?"

Shepard nodded. "Yeah. You actually." She gauged Garrus' surprise before continuing. "I was remembering everything you had said to me before that final run. Believe it or not, I'd actually started to cry." She smiled, though it was a sad smile. "I almost wanted to do something else, that way I might have a chance of living. Just so I could see you again. Even then, I realized that me living would mean I made the wrong choice, because it would cause more problems. I figured that by taking control of them, I could guarantee a happy – or at least better – life for everyone else." Shepard sat down, still smiling. "One of the deciding factors was that I could use the Reapers to watch over you." She shook her head, chuckling. "Weird, huh?" The Commander stood again, stretching. "Anyway, I'm going to check on the rest of the crew. You can bring your stuff up here if you'd like. Make yourself at home." Shepard headed out of the room.

The Turian stared at the spot Shepard had been sitting. Even in his wildest dreams, he'd never imagined that the 'thing' Shepard had mentioned was _him._ He sighed, his mandibles flaring into a smile.

"Make yourself at home, huh? I think I can do that." Garrus started walking around the cabin, checking on everything.

He fed Cinders, remembering how happy Shepard had been when she'd arrived. He observed the models, smiling at the one of the SR-1. A photo of the whole group during the party caught his eye. Garrus rubbed the side of his talon against it, fond memories rushing back. He walked down the stairs, a gun catching his eye.

"Huh? Is this Shepard's?"

Garrus picked up the rifle, a small note falling off of it. He picked it up, translating it and reading it;

"_Happy 16th, Shepard. You're the second best with guns on this ship, besides your father of course. I used to use the same kind of rifle. I promised to get you a gun for your 16th, so here it is. Promise to make me proud, alright? I'm sure your marksmanship will surpass even my abilities, Shepard. Happy birthday."_

Garrus stared at the rifle, his eyes dull. "A gift from Anderson?" Garrus look it over, sitting on the bed. "It looks like she hasn't fired it in a while, but Shepard's taken great care of it. I wonder if she has any other mementos." Garrus' voice was soft, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at the rifle.


	17. Let's Head Home

Chapter 17

**My Comments :**

Stuff and stuff! I have almost nothing to say, other than the fact that I have no idea where this story is going next. So... Enjoy! I think this is my longest chapter yet...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **The Invisible Pretender**** : **I never got an email saying I got a review, so I checked today, and it was just there. Now I feel bad about not updating. And I'm sticking to my resolve that Garrus was just in too much shock to care about what happened to the journal. Besides, he did realize what he did later, right?

**The Story :**

Shepard leaned against the frame of the cockpit, waiting for her pilot to acknowledge her presence.

"Saving the best for last, huh, Commander?"

Shepard laughed. "As always, Joker. How's everything? Still sleeping in your chair?"

Joker froze for just a second before resuming whatever he'd been doing before. "Of course not, Commander."

"EDI?"

EDI's platform spun her chair so she could see Shepard. "Yes, Commander?"

"When was the last time Joker slept in a bed?"

Joker was frozen, his arms still hovering over the control panel.

"No data available, Commander Shepard. It appears he has not done so since I have arrived."

"EDI," Joker groaned, spinning around. "You had this planned didn't you, Commander?"

"Of course," Shepard said with a laugh. "Is your chair really that comfortable?"

"Yes! I told you before how much I love this leather."

The hero smirked. "If you don't sleep in a bed soon, I'll have one moved to my cabin so I know that you're sleeping."

Noting the seriousness in his Commander's voice, Joker nodded. "Alright. You win this battle."

"I win them all, Joker."

The pilot laughed happily. "Alright, alright. I'll sleep in a bed tonight."

"EDI?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"If he tries to sleep in his chair, can you carry him to the crew's quarters?"

"Yes, Commander."

Joker almost fell out of his chair. "Shepard!"

"I can't risk you lying to me again, Moreau. Sleep well tonight. Oh, and set a course for the Citadel."

With that, Shepard waved and headed back to her cabin.

~ Break ~

"Huh?" Shepard walked into the unoccupied cabin, spotting the rifle laying on the bed. "Son a bitch, Garrus. I didn't think you'd look around." She sighed, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to relax a little.

Shepard walked down the steps, picking up the rifle. She reread the note for the millionth time since she'd gotten it so many years ago. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her adoptive father, Anderson.

~ Break ~

"_Father!"_

_Anderson spun, watching his little girl run through the apartment door and skidding to a halt in front on him. Her light turquoise sun dress took a few moments before resting simply by her knees. Long red hair almost touched the ground behind her as she jumped in excitement. Her right arm was raised in a sloppy salute, but a bright smile rested easily on her face._

"_Welcome back, sweetie. At ease."_

_The girl lowered her arm, running forward and giving her father a big hug. "While I was on my walk today, I met some nice kids."_

"_Oh. Really?" Anderson smiled, picking the girl up and carrying her over to the couch, despite the size the fifteen year old was._

"_Yeah! It was a really nice Turian family. The father was in C-Sec, and the rest of the family was visiting. The mother was really pretty, and the girl looked like her. She had an older brother too. He was really paying attention to what his father was doing. The girl said he wanted to be like his dad."_

_Anderson smiled. "Did you play with them, sweetie?"_

_The girl pouted. "Only the girl. The boy was too busy watching his father. The mother tried to get him to play, but he wouldn't hear anything about it."_

_Nodding, Anderson tapped his chin. "Did you get their names? Maybe we can arrange for you to meet them."_

_Jumping off the couch, the girl started clapping her hands. "Really?!" She hugged her father. "Thank you! The girl's name was Solana, I think. Her last name ended with a V."_

"_I'll talk to a few people. Now go clean up, sweetie. I'll start dinner."_

~ Break ~

Shepard shook her head. Where did that memory come from? Her eyes widening at the thought, she ran over to her terminal, typing in twenty-two pass codes in order to get to the encrypted file; a file of her life after Mindoir. Shepard scrolled through the photos until she found the one she was looking for.

Three adults were in the background, looking at the kids. Anderson was standing to the left of a Turian couple. Closer to the camera, three kids were running around, playing some game Shepard couldn't remember. The one she recognized immediately was herself, a young fifteen year old teenage human with long red hair, jeans, t-shirt, and combat boots. The other girl in the image was a young Turian. She had light colored skin, but her mandibles were flared in a smile. The boy was also a Turian. He looked a lot like his father, his mandibles flared into a smile as well.

"No way," Shepard muttered, staring at the signatures on the bottom right of the image. She'd made her friends sign the image too, so they would always remember each other. The one on top read;

_'Nice meeting you, Shep. Hope mom let's us play again sometime! ~ Solana'_

The middle one said; _'I may not be on the Citadel a lot, but maybe one of Father's ship will pass by Palaven someday soon! ~ Shep'_

The last one, which wasn't nearly as neat as the first two, read; _'It was nice meeting you. I never realized how fun humans could be until now. I hope we can hang out again sometime. ~ Garrus'_

Shepard bit her bottom lip, remembering that day clearly now.

~ Break ~

"_Haha, bet you can't catch me!"_

_Anderson laughed as 'Shep' did a back-flip to avoid Garrus. The Turian in question growled before lunging forward, and falling on his face. He rolled over, laughing._

"_I haven't seen Garrus this happy in a long time," the Turian mother said with a smile. "He's always so concerned with becoming the best possible C-Sec officer he can be. What about your daughter, Shep?"_

_Anderson smiled lightly. "She's adopted actually. Her parents were killed by slave traders."_

_The father turned his head curiously. "Really?"_

_Anderson nodded slowly. "Yeah. They didn't get captured either. I adopted Shepard after that. She's decided to become a soldier so no one can get away with that anymore."_

_The woman smiled. "What a pure goal. I wish her luck."_

_Laughing, Anderson smiled. "Thank you, but I don't think she needs it. I'm a Major in the Alliance, and she's already a better shot than me."_

_Shep did a front-flip over Solana, causing her brother to tag her instead. "Haha! I win!"_

_The two Turians tackled Shep as she was laughing, causing them all to tumble to the ground. The separated, staring at the fake sky and laughing. Shep smiled at the sky._

"_Let's make a deal."_

"_Huh?" Garrus turned his head to look at the human between him and his sister. "A deal?"_

"_Yeah! The next time the three of us are together, let's play again!"_

_Solana giggled. "That sounds like fun! Let's do that!"_

~ Break ~

"_Ah!" Shep screamed as someone grabbed her arm._

_Garrus and Solana spun on their heels. "Shep!"_

_Anderson looked up from the Turian couple. "Oh no." He stood up suddenly._

_The figure wrapped two arms around Shep's waist. His voice was laced with venom, and sounded similar to a Vorcha, "C'mon little girl. We're going to mess up that stupid vessel with Geo, and you'll be wonderful bait." He started to drag her away._

"_Let go!" Shepard struggled, to no avail, against her kidnapper. Tears started to stream down her face as she looked up. "G-Garrus! Help me!"_

_Something overcame the Turian as he rushed forward, skirting around the Vorcha and kicking the back of his legs. He spun around, but loosened his grip on Shep._

"_Shep! This way!" Garrus grabbed the human girl's arm, ripping her out of the Vorcha's arms and into a side road._

_After running for a few minutes, Shep collapsed, breathing heavily, tears still streaming down her face. "G-Garrus," she said quietly, trying to catch her breath._

_Garrus skidded to a halt, kneeling next to the human. "Shep? Are you alright?" He started to check her for wounds._

"_Y-yes. I was just really scared." Her mind flashed back to Mindoir, and she let loose a trembling breath._

"_It'll be alright." Garrus helped Shep to the side of a building, sitting next to her. "We'll be safe here."_

_Shep curled into him, still trembling a little. "Th-thank you, Garrus."_

_The Turian froze in confusion before slowly wrapping his arm around her protectively. "I'll always be here for you, Shep. Don't worry."_

~ Break ~

Shepard copied the picture to an empty frame, placing it on her desk, before going to the next one. A smile graced her face as she looked at it. The picture was taken by Anderson when the group had found the two. Shepard was curled into Garrus' shoulder, and his arm was around her. Both were sound asleep. She copied this to another empty frame, placing it next to other.

"EDI? Set a new course for Palaven. Keep it a secret."

"Yes, Commander."

The sound of the elevator opening caused Shepard to jump, quickly locking the file again. She grabbed the pictures, jumped the steps, and jumped onto the bed, trying to look like she'd been there the whole time.

Garrus walked in, tilting his head in confusion. He placed a box near the door. "What were you doing at the computer that made you run to bed?"

Shepard rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about." She watched the former mercenary tap his eye piece. "Fine. I was looking at pictures."

Garrus walked down the steps. "Did you copy a couple?" he asked in curiosity, gesturing towards the frames.

Nodding slowly, the Commander held the frames to him. Garrus sat next to his girlfriend, studying the pictures. His mandibles flared is surprise.

"Where did you get these?" his voice was tight and quiet.

Shepard leaned over, pointing at Anderson. "My father."

She felt Garrus freeze under her. "S-Shep," he muttered, turning to her in surprise. "I n-never even-. The t-thought-." He put his face in his talons. "I never even thought about it, Shepard."

Shepard chuckled lightly, standing up. "Yeah. I was thinking about the rifle, and the fact that you'd already found it."

"It wasn't that hard to find."

"I know that!" Shepard gave him a quick glare before walking over to the fish tank, watching the VI feed the fish. "I just didn't think you'd go looking around right away. Anyway, a memory of me talking to Anderson flitted across my mind. I was talking to him about a nice Turian girl I'd met, Solana. He'd promised to arrange it so we could meet again. That's where the memory ended. It was bothering me, so I went to the locked file on my terminal of all my pre-Alliance life. I found those two on there."

Garrus stared at the one of him and Shepard next to the building, his mandible flared in a wide smile. "I think Solana has these in her room on Palaven."

"Really?" Shepard spun, surprise on her face.

"Yeah. She always smiles at them, then says something about how nice it was back then."

EDI's voice interrupted the conversation. "ETA is five minutes, Commander."

Shepard's eyes widened even more. "That quick?"

"We were already in the Trebia system, stopping at the Fuel Depot."

"Thank you, EDI."

Garrus tilted his head at Shepard, amusement written on his face. "The Trebia system, huh?"

Shepard looked away, trying to act innocent. "Yes. What about it?"

Garrus stood up, placing the pictures on their bed. "Your heart rate is elevating. Trying to hide something?"

Shepard glared at his reflection in the fish tank. "No."

Quickly, the former mercenary moved up the steps so he was right behind Shepard. He whispered in her ear, "Liar."

A chill went up the Commander's back. She quickly made her way towards the elevator. "My reasons are my own," she growled, stepping into the elevator, refusing to meet her boyfriend's eyes.

"Uh-huh," the boyfriend in question said, leaning against the wall in their cabin.

~ Break ~

Shepard tapped her foot anxiously, waiting for her ground party to arrive. Despite this being a friendly visit, she just didn't feel safe right now. Especially with her being a hero spectre on the red-tape loving Turian home world. Add the fact that the Turian Councilor hates her very existence.

"Commander."

Shepard shook those thoughts out of her head, spotting two of three members of her ground party, Tali and Joker. "Hey, guys. Ready to go?"

Tali nodded, rubbing her hands together nervously. "Y-yeah. Are you sure it's alright if so many of us come?"

Shepard laughed. "It's fine, Tali. I'd feel a little better with more people."

Laughing, Joker climbed into the shuttle. "The Commander just wants back-up when meeting her boyfriend's family."

Tali giggled, climbing in behind him. "Oh! Why didn't you say so, Shepard?"

Feeling her face heat up, the hero glared at them. "So not the reason."

"What's not the reason?"

"Nothing! Garrus! We have to get going! Go in the shuttle!"

Garrus shrugged, climbing in. He sat across from Tali. Shepard joined them a few moments later, sitting next to Tali. Joker said a few jokes from his pilot's seat. Most of said jokes were at Shepard's expense.

~ Break ~

"Alright. You may join your friends."

Shepard nodded a 'thank-you' before joining Tali, Garrus, and Joker near the exit. Garrus stared out the window, admiring the scenery. Joker was complaining about having to wear a helmet, while Tali was mentioning she could never could take hers off.

"Ahem." The group turned to her, all three smiling. "Everyone ready?"

They all nodded before Garrus walked off, leading the way.

~ Break ~

The group of four stood outside the Vakarian household. Garrus was frozen, his talon hovering near the door. Joker was muttering something about how he thought only Shepard scared him that much, and Tali was trying to hide a giggle. Shepard sighed, walking up to Garrus.

"You have to knock, you know."

"I know," he muttered, his talon still frozen in mid-air.

Shepard sighed again, knocking for him. The former mercenary looked at her fearfully, retracting his arm. She gave him a calming smile before taking a step back.

"Dad! I thought you told everyone to leave us the hell alone today!" An extremely annoyed feminine voice sounded from inside.

"Calm down, Solana. I did. We must have guests," a much calmer, though still annoyed, masculine voice sounded next.

A female Turian ripped the door open. "What?!" she growled, freezing almost right after she finished. "G-Garrus?"

"Solana? Who is it?" the same voice called in from inside.

Solana jumped at her brother, wrapping her arms around him in a large hug. "It's Garrus!" She let go of her brother. "Come in!" She noticed the other three behind him. "Everyone! We have radiation protection inside, so you can take off your helmets.

The group of four followed Solana into a living room. Upon her order, the three current 'unknowns' to her sat down on a couch. Garrus stood near them as his sister ran to tell his father of his arrival. She returned a few moments later.

"So, Garrus. Mind telling me who your friends are?" Solana sat on a chair across from the group and across from the hallway.

The Turian nodded, gesturing towards the people in question. "This is Joker, pilot of the Normandy, the ship that brought me here." Joker took off his helmet and waved.

Solana nodded curtly. "Oh yes. The pilot of the ship that stole you all those years ago for that top secret mission."

Tali spoke up before Joker could try to ease the tenison. "My name is Tali. Garrus and I go on a lot of missions together."

Solana nodded slowly. "Oh?" She eyed the Quarian thoughtfully.

Garrus spoke up this time, not noticing the fifth heartbeat approach from behind them. "And this last one is Commander Shepard, my-."

Solana stood suddenly. "Commander Shepard? This 'hero' that put your life in danger too many times to count?"

Shepard took off her helmet, but just stared at her lap. Both Tali and Joker stared at Solana, then Shepard, unsure what to do.

Garrus' father stepped out, taking the chair next to his daughter's. "You interrupted him, Solana."

Solana froze, sitting down. "Sorry, Garrus. What were you going to say?"

The former mercenary was also frozen, now afraid to say anything. He stared at a wall instead, his weight shifting from foot to foot.

Joker was glaring at Garrus, noticing Shepard clenched fists from his not answering. "Big guy. Say it."

Tali put one of her hands over Shepard's, trying to relax her. "He'll say it, Shepard. Don't worry," she muttered, just loud enough for the ground party to hear.

"Garrus?" Solana looked confused. "What were you going to say?"

After a minute of silence went by, Shepard suddenly stood up, her shoulder's trembling. "I'm going for a walk." She slipped her helmet on, barely waiting for a _click_ saying that it had connected before rushing out the door.

Garrus' eyes were wide, and he almost stepped after her. Why had he been too afraid to tell them?

Solana interrupted his thoughts, "Leave her. Not like she ever did anything for us."

Joker reached into the small bag he had been asked to carry. He pulled two pictures out of it, tossing them at the female Turian. "Yeah. Right. Whatever you say."

Solana caught them, confusion written all over her face. She studied the images for a few minutes before recognition dawned on her face. "Shep?"

Garrus nodded slowly. "She just remembered. It was bothering her until she finally found the pictures and realized why."

Solana tossed the frames at the ground, listening to them smash. "Things change, Garrus. She's the reason that you weren't here all those years!"

Their father raised his left talon. "I wish to hear what Garrus was going to say earlier." He raised his chin calmly, giving Garrus a daring look.

Solana moved back in her seat with a small 'huff'.

The former mercenary steeled himself, looking at his family. "Shepard is my girlfriend."

~ Break ~

Shepard sat on a rock jutting out of the ground, pulling her knees close to her. The sun was unbearably hot, but she barely noticed. Her thoughts were on how Garrus was too ashamed to tell his family about her. The sound of talon against rock didn't reach Shepard's ears, and she was only vaguely aware of someone sitting next to her.

"You alright?" the masculine voice asked, trying to get a look at her face.

Shepard nodded slowly. "I guess." She sniffled once, turning to look at the stranger.

The man was a Turian, around Garrus' age. He had the same markings, but his skin was a little lighter. His light green eyes were full of concern. A scar went down the left side of face, going over his eye and ending just above his chin.

"That's good. I was worried for a little while." The man smiled brightly. "My name is Sarasi. What's yours?" Sarasi extended one of his talons.

Taking a deep breath, the spectre shook his hand. "Commander Shepard."

"Nice to meet you, Shepard. You know, there's a much nicer view a little ways from here. I think it would help you feel even better. Want to see?"

Shepard blinked a few times before nodding. "Uh, sure."

Sarasi laughed. "Alright, follow me!" He got up happily, leading the way to this new spot.

~ Break ~

All of Solana's composure fell. "Y-your g-girlfriend? You're with a human?!"

Garrus' father tapped his chin thoughtfully, not saying a word.

The former mercenary nodded, this time without hesitation. "Yes."

Joker stood up. "As much as I love this family tension, shouldn't we find Shepard? She's never been to Palaven before."

Tali followed Joker's example. "What if Shepard gets lost?"

Joker put on his helmet. "EDI? Can you find Commander Shepard's position?" Joker nodded, turning to the rest of the group. "EDI's on it. We can take the shuttle."

Joker rushed out the door, Tali at his heels.

"I'm sorry, Sol. Dad. We'll be right back." Garrus followed Joker and Tali to the shuttle.

Once the door shut, Garrus and Solana's father burst into laughter. Solana looked at him in surprise.

"Dad?"

He smiled at his daughter. "He's just like his mother." His eyes were bright. "She was always proud about what her heart felt, and never let anything get in the way."

Solana smiled lightly. "Maybe he _is_ like mom. Still, never expected him to bring a human home, huh?"

~ Break ~

"Oh. Wow!" Shepard looked at the beautiful park. It was surrounded by a dome.

Sarasi smiled. "This park was built as a memorial. The dome helps keep all of the radiation out, and it has a ton of temperature regulators. I come here a lot. It's probably the nicest place on Palaven." He chuckled. "The pathways that wind through the gardens, the bridges over the streams, it's just so calming."

Shepard nodded. "I see why you wanted to come here."

"Feeling better now?"

The Commander nodded happily. "Yes. This place is so beautiful. I'm glad I got to see it."

Sarasi smiled brightly. "That's good! I'm glad you're feeling better." He started walking. "You should see the center. There's a huge fountain surrounded by flowers from Earth."

"Flowers from Earth?"

"Yeah. I think they were called rosies. No," he paused. "Roses! That's it."

Shepard smiled. "It sounds beautiful," she said, laughing. "Alright. Lead the way, Sarasi."

~ Break ~

"Let's head to the center. EDI said Shepard was here."

Garrus glared at Joker. "And what if she's wrong?"

"How many humans do you think are on Palaven, running around in N7 armor?"

"Fine," Garrus muttered in annoyance.

Tali looked around. "I found her!" She paused. "Who's she with?"

Joker and Garrus turned, spotting Shepard with a strange Turian. Her helmet was off, and despite her eyes being a little puffy, she was smiling. Laughing even. Garrus felt jealously growing deep inside of him. The group ran towards them.

"Shepard," Garrus called, skidding to a halt a few feet from her and the stranger.

The Commander looked over. Spotting Garrus, her smile faded. She looked away immediately, biting her bottom lip.

The stranger stepped in front of her, placing his arm in between her and Garrus. "Listen, man. I don't know who you are, but you're making Shepard sad again. I brought her here to cheer up."

Joker raised an eyebrow. "Commander? We were worried about you."

Shepard glared at him. "I'm fine, aren't I?" her words came out in a snarl.

Joker took a step back. "Listen, Commander. After you left the h-."

"I don't want to hear it!" Her glare shifted to Garrus. "Why should I?" Shepard bit her lip again, sadness threatening to overcome her anger.

The man grabbed one of Shepard's arms, but his gaze remained on Garrus. "I don't know what you did to her, but she obviously doesn't want to be with you right now." He switched his gaze to Shepard. "I know somewhere we can go. Do you want to go, or stay here, Shepard?"

Without looking up, Shepard replied, "Can we please go, Sarasi?"

Sarasi nodded. "Of course." He led Shepard away, glaring at the group of three.

Once the two of them were out of sight, Garrus fell to his knees. "S-Shepard." His eyes were wide. "I-I caused her that pain in her eyes."

Tali put a hand on his shoulder. "Just let her get over it, Garrus. Trust me. She'll be back."

Joker nodded. "Yeah, Big Guy. The Commander won't be gone for long."

Garrus nodded slowly. "Joker? Just in case something happens, can you have EDI keep track of Shepard?"

Joker helped Garrus up. "Sure thing. We'd better head back before Solana and your father start to worry."

~ Break ~

Shepard laughed happily. "I can't believe you actually knew a restaurant with food I could eat!"

Sarasi smiled. "I know this town like the back of my talon. Besides, they serve some damn good Dextro food, too."

The Commander smiled as well. "I owe you one, Sarasi."

"Anytime, Shepard," Sarasi said, his green eyes sparkling happily.


	18. Talk About Making Up

**Chapter 18**

**My Comments :**

Look at me, writing things. I feel so talented ^.^ Oh, and from now on, I'm going to refer to Solana and Garrus' father as 'Vakarian' so I have another thing to call him. I'm thinking of trying to find a way to introduce Zaeed and Kasumi, now that I know who they are. Any ideas?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **The Invisible Pretender**** :** Glad I can still be original, even though I don't plan a single sentence or plot line for my chapters anymore. At least, original enough to surprise people.

**The Story :**

Garrus stared out the window, blankly. He had been for the last hour. Solana had apologized for her actions to the three that had returned, so her, Joker, Tali, and Vakarian had been talking for quite a while.

"Garrus? You really should eat something."

"I don't feel like it, Sol."

Solana glared at her brother. "Get off your ass and eat something. Once your girlfriend calms down and gets her ass home, she's gonna get pissed again because you tried to starve yourself."

Garrus turned his head and blankly looked at his sister. "She wouldn't even listen to us."

Tali stood, her, slightly frightening, angry side taking over. "Come on, you Boshtet!" When Garrus' eyes widened in surprise, she continued, "Shepard is a damn _woman_. She's going to have her moments! Get over it! Why not try to be brave for once and face her head on?!" Tali's hand raised to point accusingly at him. "You've done so much shit. You let Joker read her _private journal_ to the whole crew, for one!"

Solana tilted her head to look at Garrus. "Oh that's just wrong."

"And you know what? She still went back to you! She _forgave_ you. Stop wallowing in self-pity and be prepared to give her as much love as possible when she gets back!"

Joker started laughing. "Nice job, Tali! Never knew you had it in you!"

Sighing, the Quarian went back to her seat and sat down. "It just had to be said."

Garrus stood shakily. "You're right, Tali. I'm sor-."

"Don't bother apologizing to me."

"Er, right." Garrus walked to the kitchen grabbing a plate of food and eating, thoughts already on how to apologize.

~ Break ~

"Do you want to head home now?"

Shepard's smile faded. "I-I don't know."

Sarasi chuckled. "You can't avoid your problem forever. What is this problem anyway?"

Shepard sighed. "I visited my boyfriend's house for the first time. On my first trip to Palaven too. He froze when he was about to say that I was his girlfriend."

"Ah," Sarasi said, smiling. "That must have been the Turian who called out your name at the park, huh?"

Shepard nodded. "Yeah. Garrus."

Sarasi chuckled. "That makes sense, though." Shepard glared at him. "Hear me out. A Turian and a human dating is practically unheard of. He might've of just been nervous about their reactions. There was no way he was ashamed, or he never would've agreed to let you see his family."

Slowly, the Commander nodded. "Okay. You have a point." She sighed. "Fine. I guess I should go back."

Sarasi's mandibles flared in a large smile. "Are you too attached to him? He's pretty cute for a Turian."

Shepard almost choked on air. "Wow. That was not a statement I was expecting from you."

Laughing, Sarasi deposited the needed credits on the table. "Never guess it, huh? Ah well. My car is a block down the road, at my apartment, I'll drive you home."

Nodding, the hero followed her friend to his car. She watched the doors open, and carefully climbed in. After making sure the car was ready to go, he froze.

"Um, Shepard?"

"The Vakarian household. I was wondering when you were going to ask."

Sarasi laughed. "Way to make me worry, Shepard."

"I try," Shepard said, smirking.

For the most part, the car ride was quiet. When they were a minute away from their destination, he spoke up;

"Is the human guy your Garrus was traveling with available?"

Shepard laughed whole-heartedly. "No, actually. He's got a girlfriend."

"Damn." Sarasi smiled brightly. "Mind if I join you on your ship then, Commander? I'm sure you've got plenty of available guys up there."

Eying him curiously, Shepard nodded. "Sure. Why not? Can you shoot a gun."

"I'm a Turian."

"Right. Stupid question."

Sarasi laughed happily, parking the sky-car. "Here we are. Want me to come with you?"

Shepard smiled gratefully. "Yes. Thanks for everything."

"Anytime, Shepard."

Sarasi got out, running to the other side to help Shepard out. She smiled gratefully at him, before heading towards the door. She knocked slowly. Sarasi pat her shoulder to give her some more courage.

The door swung open. "Shepard!" Garrus practically screamed, pulling his girlfriend into a huge hug. "I'm so sorry. I never should have hesitated. I was scared. I love you and always will!"

Shepard smiled, hugging him back. "I love you too, Garrus."

Solana coughed from behind Garrus. "Excuse me, lover boy? I need to apologize too." She separated Garrus from Shepard. "I'm sorry. When I heard your name, all I could think of was how you'd taken my brother away from us for so long. After Garrus said how much he cared about you, I felt so bad. I'm sorry, Shep."

From behind Shepard, Sarasi laughed. "See, Shepard? I told you things would go well!"

Garrus froze, slowly turning to glare at the other Turian. Solana blinked at him curiously.

Sarasi smiled. "The name's Sarasi. I'm Shepard's friend."

Joker stepped forward. "Relax, big guy. He's obviously not trying to steal the Commander from you. He brought her back."

"Oh yeah. I was trying to steal you from Shepard."

Shepard slapped her forehead with her palm. Garrus, Solana, Vakarian, and Tali froze, unable to move. Joker burst out laughing.

Shepard glared at Joker. "Oh stop laughing. He asked if you were single after."

This time, Joker froze. The other four burst out laughing.

Sarasi raised his talons. "Hey! I stopped asking. Both of you are taken, I know that now!"

Solana checked the time. "Sorry to say this all, but I think it's time for you to go. Can't leave your ship waiting too long."

Shepard nodded, giving both Solana and Vakarian a hug. "Sorry I couldn't stay longer. I promise to bring Garrus around again soon."

Garrus watched Sarasi join Joker and Tali in the shuttle. "Shepard?"

Shepard smiled. "What? We don't have enough Turians."

Garrus sighed. "That's not important now. There's something I need to ask you."

Tilting her head, she nodded slowly. "Okay?"

Grabbing her arm, the former mercenary dragged her a ways away from the group. Far enough so that they couldn't hear them talk. The three in the shuttle poked their heads out, curious. The two Vakarians watched from a window.

"I was watching some of those vids on human culture, and I got this a while ago, but it was never the right time. Even then, I never really got to give it to you since you, uh, died and all." Garrus took a deep breath, trying to stop him rambling. "But, I never want you to think that I'm ashamed by you at all, Shep. I want the whole galaxy to know how much I love you."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, confused. "Okaaay."

"So I watched the vids, and I think this is how you do it."

Slowly, Garrus got down on one of his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Joker's jaw drop, Tali start to jump up and down in excitement, and the rest of them stare in confusion. He took a deep breath, producing a small box from his armor. Shepard's eyes had widened, obviously not expecting this. He opened the box, revealing a golden band with a shining diamond.

"Shepard? W-will you m-marry me?"

His girlfriend stood still, tears starting to rise up. Slowly, she nodded. Before Garrus could stand up and give her the ring, she tackled him with a hug.

"Yes, Garrus!"

Garrus smiled, separating from her and slipping the ring on her ring finger. "So, I did it right?"

Shepard laughed happily, hugging him. "Yes," she muttered into his shoulder.

Garrus hugged her back for a few moments before leading her back to the house.

Joker was shaking his head. "Is that why you were asking all those weird questions?"

The Turian in quesiton looked a sheepishly at the ground.

Tali tackled her Commander with a hug. "Just wait until Liara hears about this! And Samara! And Chakwas! And Miranda! Oh, and Jack too!"

Shepard detached herself from Tali. "Calm down, Tali! We'll tell them later." She joined the group in the shuttle, refusing to say anything.

Garrus gave his father and Solana a hug, promising to explain what just happened later. He waved as the shuttle lifted off.

Tali continued to list off everyone that had to know about the engagement. "Let's see," she said, tapping her mouthpiece. "Eve! I'm sure she'd love to know! EDI of course! Samantha!"

"Tali! Take a breath. We're almost to the ship anyway."

Sarasi listened silently. "Oh! I remember that know! It's a human tradition!" He smiled happily. "Congratulations!"

Garrus smiled at him. "Thanks, Sarasi."

~ Break ~

The shuttle door opened, and most of the crew stood there, looking confused. Even EDI's platform stood there. The ground party and Sarasi jumped out, looking confused as well.

"Um, Tali? Is this your doing?"

Tali nodded at her commander. "You bet!"

From her spot near the shuttle, Liara studied the ground party. The first to attract her attention was the newcomer. Though, Tali wouldn't call them down for a new member would she? Her eyes scanned Shepard. She was about to leave when her eyes shot to the Commander's left hand.

"Shepard!"

"Hm?" The hero looked at Liara in confusion.

The Shadow Broker looked absolutely baffled as she pointed at Shepard's hand. "Is _that_ why Tali called us down here? Is there something you want to tell us?"

Shepard blushed as she raised her left hand. Gasps arose throughout the group. Garrus wrapped his arm around her shoulder with a smile. After a few seconds, the girls, besides EDI, ripped Shepard away from Garrus and surrounded her, hounding her with questions. Garrus was surrounded by some of the guys, though most of them were just asking 'what took so long?'.

Both Garrus and Shepard noticed two human male figures go into the elevator, staring at the wall.

~ Break ~

"And that is _exactly_ how is happened?"

Sighing, Shepard nodded. "Yes, Liara." She stared at her ring on the counter, smiling.

The girls had taken over the Port Observation Deck, along with its bar, before the men had the chance. Samara was staring at the stars, leaning on the window-sill. On the couch, Tali was telling the story to a very bored Jack and excited Miranda. Liara and Chakwas were sitting with Shepard at the bar. EDI and Traynor were near the back of the room, talking about something that had nothing to do with the engagement. Shepard silently wished she was over there.

"That is so romantic!" Chakwas sipped at her wine, smiling.

Shepard nodded again. "Yup." She heard a war cry emanate from the Mess Hall. How she wished she could be out there with the guys.

Jack stood up, patting Shepard hard on the back. "'Bout time he made a move, Princess."

Miranda chuckled, leaning back into the couch. "We were all waiting for him to."

Tali giggled. "Of course, he had to deal with all the competition. He'd have to make a move sooner or later."

"Competition?"

The group looked at the confused Shepard before breaking out into laughter.

Tali smirked beneath her helmet. "What about the green Asari, Shiala?"

Shepard blinked a few times. "Shiala?"

Liara laughed. "Of course you've never seen that one, Shepard. What about Leo?"

"Leo's my best friend," she said defensively.

"Uh-huh. What about Kelly?"

"Kelly likes everyone! I recall her saying a few things about most of the people in this room."

This comment peaked the groups interest. "Oh really?" Jack leaned against the counter. "Like what?"

Shepard turned back to her drink, turning bright red. "Nothing!"

The group laughed at their Commander's embarrassment again.

~ Break ~

"So, finally letting yourself get tied down, huh, Garrus?"

Garrus laughed brightly. "It's Shepard, Wrex. I'm not sure anyone could get 'tied down'."

Javik scoffed at the group, unaware of what was so important.

James smiled at the Turian. "You take care of Lola, alright, Loco?"

Garrus tilted his head in amusement. "Of course, Vega."

Grunt started a war cry, something that the rest of the group joined in on. "We'll have to make sure you celebrate the Krogan way!"

"Oh?" Even James looked a little worried.

Wrex reaches into a hidden compartment in the kitchen, dragging out a barrel of Ryncol. "The Krogan way!"

Grunt proceeds to help Wrex fill a shot glass for everyone in the room, handing them out. The non-Krogan men, besides Javik who had refused, stared at the glasses, unsure if this was a good idea.

"Should we bring one for you, Joker?"

"No thanks," Joker replied to Wrex over the comms, "I don't feel like crashing the Normandy into an asteroid anytime soon."

The group laughed before downing the shot. The Krogans cheered while everyone else started coughing uncontrollably.

"Who's ready for another shot!" Wrex cheered, pouring more into everyone's glasses.

~ Break ~

Shepard paced her cabin in annoyance. Along with Liara and Samara, the two who were the least drunk, the three of them had to biotically lift all the men to their rooms. All of them had either been unconscious or pretty damn close. Currently, she was waiting for Garrus to wake up.

"Joker, set a course for the Citadel."

"Sure thing, Commander."

Shepard nodded, staring at her VI feed the fish.

"Mmrrf."

Shepard glared at her fiance. "You could of at least had the courtesy to talk to me before drinking yourself half to death."

Garrus mumbled in his sleep again.

She sighed. "You're gonna have a killer headache in the morning. I hope your hangover sucks." She used her biotics to lift Garrus onto the couch. "That's what you get for drinking."

Shepard climbed into bed, staring at her ring happily as she drifted off into sleep.

~ Break ~

"_Good morning, Father."_

"_Hm?" Anderson turned to his daughter curiously. "Is something the matter?"_

_Shepard grabbed a piece of bacon from her father's plate. "Not really. I just had another bad dream."_

"_Don't worry, sweetie. They'll go away soon."_

"_Thanks, daddy. I love you."_

"_I love you too, sweetie. I always will."_

~ Break ~

"_Hey, dad!"_

"_Commander Shepard?"_

"_Relax. It's a secured channel. EDI made sure of that. How are things on Earth going? I'm working as hard as I can."_

_Anderson smiled. "Things are going, Shepard. I know you're working hard. Make sure to rest every once in a while. Ah, I heard some news the other day. About an event on the Citadel."_

"_Oh?" Shepard tried to look nonchalant._

"_A Turian and a human woman who look like oddly like Commander Shepard were where they weren't supposed to be." He laughed. "Imagine that video of my little girl and her Turian 'comrade.' What were they talking about again? One line got to me. 'The only part that made leaving Earth bearable was knowing that you were out there somewhere.' That hurt your dear old dad."_

_Shepard blushed wildly. "Someone got that on video?!"_

_Anderson laughed. "Yeah. Even that purposeful miss. I almost didn't believe you'd missed, then I saw that glint in your eye."_

_Shepard smiled. "I had to make him feel good about himself."_

_Smiling, her adoptive father chuckled. "Just make sure I can walk you down the aisle, okay, sweetie?"_

_Shepard blushed even more. "Dad!"_

"_Haha, just make sure I can, sweetie. I love you. I've got to go."_

"_Be careful, dad. I love you too."_

~ Break ~

Shepard's eyes fluttered open slowly. She felt a familiar gloved talon rubbing tears off of her cheeks. "Bad dream?"

Shepard shook her head. "Good dream. Bad thoughts."

"Hm?" Garrus sat next to her. "Want to talk about it?"

Sighed Shepard sat up, leaning against her fiance. "I had a dream about one of my last couple talks with my father. He said he saw the video of us on top of the Presidium."

"Wait? That was filmed?"

Shepard shrugged. "Apparently. He knew the entire conversation." She sighed again. "He was talking about being happy for me. Then he made me promise he could walk me down the aisle." Shepard took a deep, albeit shaky, breath. "I promised."

Garrus put his arm around his Commander. "It'll be alright, Shepard."

Shepard pressed her face into Garrus' shoulder. "Why can't anything ever be easy?"

"If things were easy, would they ever be fun?"

Rolling her eyes, the hero laughed. "Says the former mercenary. Who almost got killed by three mercenary packs."

"Mmm," Garrus hummed, nodding. "But my wonderful fiance came to rescue me, didn't she?"

"Flatterer. What about your hangover?"

Garrus cringed. "Please don't remind me."

Shepard laughed, causing him to flinch. "Sorry. Go take a shower. I'll get some medicine from Dr. Chakwas. Oh, and I still haven't forgiven you for shooting me on my way across the bridge."

Garrus chuckled lightly, heading to the shower. "At least it wasn't a real shot."

"Uh-huh. At least I didn't throw one of my red implant abilities at you." She glared at him, a playful smirk on her face. "See you in a few, Garrus."

Garrus stopped, kissing Shepard on the cheek. "Goodbye kiss."

"That was on the vids too, wasn't it?"

"Maaaaaybe." Garrus spun, heading into the bathroom.

Shepard chuckled, going into the elevator.


	19. Who Would've Thought

**Chapter 19**

**My Comments :**

I don't know... I managed two chapters in one day. Don't think I'll ever do _that_ again. ^.^' And look at Garrus and Shepard, already bickering like a married couple.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ **The Invisible Pretender**** :** Look at me, inspiring feelings in my readers ^.^

**The Story :**

Joker smiled brightly as Shepard walked in. "How was the party last night, Commander?"

"Exhausting!" Shepard groaned, sitting next to Joker's chair. "I was constantly being asked questions and I had to help carry the drunk men to their rooms."

Laughing, the pilot gestured to his controls. "At least I didn't crash the Normandy."

The Commander growled in annoyance before realization dawned on her. "You didn't join the guys?"

Joker waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "The way they were drinking, my breaking a bone probably would've gone unnoticed."

Shepard laughed. "You should relax a little. That's why we're going to the Citadel. After all the shit we've been through, I think we need a break."

"What's that in your hand?"

"Pain pills for Garrus. I figured that since he was stupid enough to drink so much Ryncol, he can deal with the repercussions for a little while longer."

Joker feigned sympathy. "That's just cold, Commander."

~ Break ~

Monarch snarled at the Turian AI, "Deny the connection! We can't let them go rogue!"

Harbinger glared at the human AI with similar venom. "I already tried that, Monarch! If their AI's leave the ship, we may have to destroy them."

Monarch punched a hole in the wall. "Dammit! We have to keep Her Majesty, Shepard, from finding out about this! We must stop it before she has to deal with it!"

"We can't, Monarch! We're putting the species on the Citadel in danger!"

"Yes we can! We promised Her Majesty a peaceful aftermath!"

~ Break ~

Shepard stood slowly. "I'd better get to Garrus before he sends me a message or something."

Joker smiled. "Sure thing, Commander. ETA is three minutes."

"Thanks, Joker." Shepard started to walk away, but her steps were getting slower and slower. Why did her head pound so much? She didn't have a hangover.

"Commander?" Joker turned around, worry written on his face. The worry worsened when no response was heard.

"_I'm sorry, Your Majesty,"_ the familiar voice of Monarch sounded throughout the cockpit as Shepard collapsed.

"Commander!" Joker jumped up, looking to his left. "EDI! Wake the crew right now!"

"Yes, Jeff," the AI's voice had raised an octave, worry lacing her robotic voice.

~ Break ~

"Huh?" Shepard looked around in confusion. Currently, she was floating in a large white space. Furniture formed around her until she was at her father's apartment. "What the?" Shepard looked around fervently. "Joker?! Garrus?!"

"I'm sorry, Shepard." The Commander spun, spotting Monarch sitting on a couch in the living room. "There appears to be a slight malfunction with a few Reapers. They are currently en route to the Citadel, preparing to kill all life there."

Shepard sighed. "Seriously? I thought that wasn't possible!"

"When we moved your consciousness to a physical form, your strength over the Reapers lowered. A few broke the bond you shared. You must reign them in."

Closing her eyes, Shepard was transported to the location of the rouge reapers. "You three are causing me problems." She opened her eyes, glowing gold from her new ability. "Now come back, or destroy yourselves."

The Reapers stopped moving.

~ Break ~

The hangover pounding from before was gone. It was now replaced with worry as Garrus stared at his unconscious fiance. She was lying unmoving in a bed in the Med Bay. A good portion of the crew stood outside.

"Please tell us what happened, Jeff."

Joker sighed, turning to Doctor Chakwas. "Shepard and I were talking about how annoyed she was that everyone got drunk off their asses. She mentioned that she had pain meds for Garrus, but wanted to punish him a little for being a dumbass." He ignored Garrus' low growl of annoyance. "As she was walking away, she slowed down 'till she was just standing there. Monarch said something, an apology I think, then the Commander passed out."

"Monarch?" Chakwas looked more that a little concerned.

"Yeah," Joker said with a nod. "She said sorry to the Commander before she passed out."

A familiar robotic voice filled the Med Bay, _"Problems with rogue Reapers. Please excuse any comments spoken from the subject. Reliving first integration with Reapers."_

"Huh? Rogue Reapers?" Garrus jumped as Shepard's eyes shot open, both glowing gold.

Her voice was different, so much so that everyone one in the room got chills, _"Eternal. Infinite. Immortal."_

Joker sat on the bed across from Shepard. "This is just getting creepy."

"_Subject confronting rogue Reapers,"_ Monarch continued.

Garrus held Shepard's freezing hand. "It'll be alright, Shep. Calm down."

"_The woman I was used these words, but only now do I truly understand them."_

Garrus froze. "This is," he trailed off.

Joker shook his head. "It must be from when she first connected with the Reapers."

"_And only now do I understand the full extent of her sacrifice."_

Monarch continued along, ignoring the odd babble coming from Shepard, _"Rogue threat taken care of. Committed suicide instead of rejoining."_

Joker cringed. "That can't be good."

"_Through her death, I was created. Through my birth, her thoughts are freed. They guide me now, give me reason, direction."_

"_Uplink in process. Please be patient,"_ Monarch's much to cheery voice echoed throughout the cabin.

"Spirits. No wonder she was so confused when she woke up!" Garrus held the soft hand in his talons a little tighter.

"_Now my purpose. To give the many a hope for the future. To ensure that all have a voice in their future. I will rebuild what the many have lost."_

"Yeesh," Joker said, laying back. "Even after she died she still wanted to help everyone." He raised his hands in defeat at the resulting death glare from Chakwas and Garrus.

"_Uplink almost completed."_

"_I will protect and sustain. I will act as guardian for the many. And throughout it all, I will never forget,"_ a tear rolled down the Commander's cheek, resulting in surprise from the three in the room. _"I will remember the ones who sacrificed themselves so that the many could survive."_

Chakwas smiled lightly, a sad smile. "Even after, she still blamed herself."

"_And I will watch over the ones who live on. Those who carry the memory of the woman I once was. The woman who gave up her life to become the one who could save the many."_

Joker actually found himself chuckling. "Wouldn't have expected anything else from our Commander."

Garrus was staring at her. "That's what she meant," he muttered under his breath.

"_Upload is completed. We apologize for taking her."_

A few seconds after Monarch's voice faded Shepard sat up, taking a large breath. She covered her eyes and rubbed her temples with her left hand.

"Fucking Monarch. Handle it by your damn self next time."

Garrus sighed in relief. "Shepard." He smiled. "You're alright."

Shepard raised her head, her eyes back to normal. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She looked at her surroundings. "Dammit Monarch! What the _fuck_ did you do to me this time?!"

Joker laughed happily. "She stole you from us for a little while, Commander. You're perfectly fine, though."

Shepard started to glow blue, and she biotically jumped out of bed. "Freaking Monarch," she snarled opening the door. The crew parted ways so she could pass by.

Garrus sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Well big guy, you sure got one hell of a catch!"

~ Break ~

Shepard stared blankly at the backs of her hands. For some unknown reason, she felt sad. To her, it was an unknown sad. After a few moments, she placed the feeling. Longing. After becoming the master conscious of the Reapers, they became like her children.

A sudden bout of nausea interrupted her thought process. Shepard barely made it to the bathroom in time to puke into the toilet.

"Oh gods," she muttered, leaning against the wall and placing her face in her knees.

"Shepard?" Garrus curiously called out. She heard him tap his eye piece then round the corner. "Shepard?"

The Commander sighed, lifting her head. "I'm fine, Garrus. I was just feeling sick. Probably because of that stupid result of my prior mission." She shrugged, raising her hand so Garrus could help her up. "Don't worry about it."

Garrus obliged, hugging Shepard once she was standing. "I can't help it, Shep." He smiled at her, smoothing her hair down with his talon. "C'mon, Joker said there's a lot of traffic at the Citadel. I'll wake you up when we're ready to dock. Try to sleep, alright?"

Shepard nodded slowly, smiling. "Thanks, Garrus."

Garrus carefully picked his fiance up, carrying her to the bed. He laid her down carefully down on her side, climbing in next to her. "Anytime."

~ Break ~

"Shepard." She shifted slightly, mumbling something that made Garrus smirk. "Swear at me all you want. I will not 'go fuck myself'. I promised to wake you up when we were ready to dock. Of course, you took so long to wake up, people are preparing for that mandatory shore leave you have prepared." Shepard sat up quickly, her eyes darting around the room. "Shep?"

The Commander made a sudden bolt for the bathroom, proceeding to throw up. Garrus followed her, holding her hair back.

"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should see Karin."

"I'm fine, Garrus. It's probably just a 24-hour bug. I'll be fine." She smiled up a him calmly, wiping away his fears.

"Well, get dressed. I'll meet you at the airlock."

After Garrus left, Shepard threw up again. "What the hell is this? Why I am so freaking sick?" Shepard opened her Omni-Tool, making a quick call.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Please stop calling me that, Monarch. I just need to ask a quick question."

Monarch nodded. "Proceed."

The Commander rolled her eyes. "Is my body in the exact same condition as when I died?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Nothing was altered, other that a few implant upgrades to help you recover faster."

Shepard sighed. That puts that idea out of the question. "Thanks, Monarch."

~ Break ~

Garrus turned his head as the airlock door opened. Shepard stepped out in familiar off-duty attire, her sweatshirt and jeans.

"Hey, Garrus. Ready to go?"

Garrus nodded happily. "Yeah. Are you feeling better?"

Shepard interlaced her right hand with Garrus' left, earning a few stares. "You bet! I'm ready to see the Citadel again! I mean, after the rebuilding."

The former mercenary chuckled. "I'll be happy to be your guide, Shep."

"Look at you, acting like a gentleman."

Garrus feigned hurt. "You mean I don't always act like one?"

Shepard rolled her eyes, laughing. "Not in the slightest. Come on, let's go."

Garrus started by leading her through the Presidium, though she noticed he ignored a place that had a lot of tourists. She vaguely wondered what it was. After that, he led her through the various wards, making a special note to point out how well some refugees were doing. He ended with a trip through the shopping district Shepard had grown accustomed to seeing during her days with Cerberus.

"Wow. These shops are still as busy as ever." Shepard stared at the stores in awe.

Garrus nodded. "Want to take a look inside some?"

Shepard smiled at him. "I'm a little hungry. Do you think we could eat first?"

The Turian smiled brightly at his fiance. "Sure. How about here?" He led Shepard inside a relatively simple food place that had food for the both of them.

Garrus ordered one of his most favorite Turian dishes, though was quite surprised at Shepard's choice.

"Do you even know that is, Shep?"

Shepard shrugged. "Not really. I think it's an Asari recipe. But it looks _really_ good."

"Uh-huh." Garrus studied her carefully. "Liara tried to get you to eat that same dish when we were against the Reapers. You refused, saying, and I quote, 'that looks absolutely revolting'."

The Commander shrugged. "I don't know, Garrus. Food just seems different to me right now. I mean, even the thought of a cheese burger and fries makes me sick to my stomach."

"Er," Garrus made a small hand gesture.

"It's a really common human dish that almost everyone likes."

"Ah." Garrus tapped the scarred side of his face thoughtfully. "Are you sure you don't want to see Karin?"

"She's on break too, isn't she?"

"Nah. She said she preferred the ship to the Citadel."

"Would it make you feel better?"

"Very much so."

Shepard growled in annoyance. "Fine. But after we eat. I'm starving." She practically drooled as a random collage of tentacles and fish parts were placed in front of her.

"Riiiight. Whatever you say, Shep."

~ Break ~

Shepard watched Garrus pace around the Mess Hall. "Jeez. I'm fine. Don't know what's got him so worried."

Chakwas rolled her eyes before Shepard looked over. "Could you tell me these symptoms, Commander?"

"Yeah, yeah." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Let's see. I've been feeling really nauseous and, according to Garrus, I've had a really weird appetite. Maybe a tad emotional too."

Chakwas nodded slowly. "Would you mind if I did a scan of your stomach? I want to make sure it's not some sort of bug."

"Go ahead. Garrus won't leave me alone until I get checked out anyway." Raising her voice, she added, "He can be an ass when he wants to be."

"Heard that, Shep!"

"Meant you to!" Shepard chuckled, laying down. "'Kay, doc."

Chakwas waved her Omni-Tool over Shepard's abdomen a few times before sitting down to review the results. After moving the data to a few data pads and checking test results, the woman's eyes widened.

"Impossible!"

"Hm?" Shepard sat up. "What? Do I have some parasite eating my insides or something?"

Chakwas handed her Commander the data pad. "Try not to break anything on your way out."

Scanning the data pad, the hero's eyes widened, before narrowing again. "Oh hell no." She stood up quickly. "Thanks for the diagnosis, doc. I'll be back later." She stormed out of the Med Bay and into the Mess.

Tali and Liara were talking about how great of a wedding they could plan, but they stopped talking when Shepard came out. Garrus was still pacing and when he spotted Shepard, he walked over quickly.

"Shepard! Are you-?"

"This is all your fucking fault, Garrus."

"Huh?" Garrus took a step back, surprised.

Liara stood up from the table. "What is Shepard?"

The Commander handed the data pad to Liara. Tali joined Liara, looking over her shoulder to read it to. Garrus just stared at Shepard, trying to figure out how he got her sick.

The Shadow Broker glanced from Garrus to Shepard. "Shepard! How did you not know?"

"How the hell was I supposed to think _that_ would happen?!"

Tali tackled Shepard in a big hug. "This is great news, Shepard!"

"So not great news. How the hell am I supposed to fight?"

Garrus raised his talons. "Excuse me? Could someone please tell me what I did wrong?"

Liara giggled. "You didn't do anything wrong, but Shepard will blame you anyway."

"Blame the big guy for what?" Joker walked past the group to grab a coffee, EDI at his heels.

The Commander snarled. "No one is supposed to be on the ship!"

Liara handed the data pad to Garrus. "You should head for yourself."

The group watched the former mercenary expectantly. His mandible flared in surprise and his jaw dropped. "Sh-Shep?!"

Joker watched in curiosity. He hummed quietly to himself.

"So your fault." Shepard pointed accusingly at Garrus. "You got me fucking _pregnant_ Vakarian!"

A shatter filled the silence of the mess. Joker was staring, wide-mouthed at the duo. He carefully started to slip away, heading back to the cockpit.

Liara and Tali took a step back, slightly fearing for their lives.

"I swear Vakarian, if this keeps me from doing what I love to, you'll be the one to pay for it!"

Garrus took his own, quite large, step back. "I had no idea, Shepard! I didn't even know it was possible!"

Shepard spun on her heels, calling Garrus a few choice words on her way out.

~ Break ~

Liara pat Shepard on the back calmly. "It'll be alright, Shepard. You'll make a great mother."

The Commander gave a death to the Asari. "Oh yeah. After a few months of torture!"

Tali tried not to laugh. "Calm down, Shepard. Only the three of us know. Things will be fine."

Suddenly, the Commander stood up. "Shit! Joker knows!"

The group of three froze.

"Well," Shepard said with a sigh. "Things are about to get a lot more interesting."


	20. The Normandy Needs Another Surprise

**Chapter 20**

**My Comments :**

I can honestly say that I never expected to even get this far. I mean, jeezums. I expected ten chapters, _tops._ I'm happy that people are still interested in what's going on. And sorry about this chapter. I'm not very good at writing anything that requires action.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

**The Story :**

Garrus stood to the spot, frozen in place. How the-? What the-? He couldn't even form a coherent question in his head. The data pad he had been holding a few moments ago was lying on the ground next to his feet.

"Garrus?"

The Turian in question shook his head, not even sure who was asking. "Y-yeah?"

"What's up? You look like you've seen a fucking ghost." Garrus said nothing. "Is this what's got you freaked out?"

The former mercenary shook himself out of his trance quick enough to see Jack reading the data pad. "W-wait!"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Aw fuck, Shepard. You screwed her over that badly?" The former convict turned her head to look at Garrus. "She given you hell yet?"

Garrus sighed. "I'd be willing to bet there's more to come."

"Haha! I'd take that bet!" Jack smirked, placing the data pad on the table. "Good luck, dumbass. Next time, try to be a little smarter!"

The former mercenary watched Jack walk off, laughing to herself. He sighed, grabbing the data pad. Knowing how Shepard could get when she was upset, Garrus opted to head back to the Wards to do some shopping.

~ Break ~

Shepard paced the length of the Port Observation Deck. Liara stood protectively near the bar, refusing to let Shepard get within two feet. Tali was sitting on the couch, her hands laced together.

A light knock sounded on the door. "Princess? Are you in here?"

Shepard froze, her eyes shooting up to the door. "Yes," she said quickly, resuming her pacing.

Leo walked in slowly. "Hey, Princess. I just wanted-. Why are you pacing? Is something wrong?"

Liara glanced at Tali before replying, "A few new things have come up."

Looking worried, the old friend stepped closer to Shepard. "What happened?"

Shepard waved her hand dismissively. "Fucking Garrus. That's what happened. Why not ask those two? They know. People aren't even supposed to be on the freaking ship right now." Resuming her pacing, the hero continued to quietly mutter profanities about her fiance.

Tali glanced at Leo before opening her Omni-Tool. She sent him a quick message, including the results from the data pad. "Just, uh, try to stay calm."

Leo looked confused. "Stay calm?" _Ping!_ Shrugging, Leo opened his Omni-Tool and skimmed the information. His eyes widened. One of his hands covered his mouth. "I-I have t-to go. Hope you f-feel better s-soon, Princess." Leo turned, rushing out of the room.

Merely waving her hand in the same manner as before, Shepard continued her pacing. "Why don't we just tell everyone?! It's not like they won't notice soon!" The Commander clenched her fists. "How dare he?! This is going to mess _everything_ up! I won't even be able to do my damn job!"

Liara grabbed Shepard's shoulders, causing her to stop and stare at the Asari. "Shepard! Calm down! You _should_ see this as a blessing! This little life forming," The Shadow Broker poked her Commander's stomach for emphasis, "is a miracle. This little life shouldn't have been possible to create in the first place. You shouldn't see it as a hindrance."

Shepard sighed, sitting next to Tali. "I don't, Liara." She leaned back, closing her eyes tightly. "I've always wanted to have a child. Just not now. I mean, I'm not ready to be a parent! I still have these stupid implants in my brain that are slowly killing me. I have no idea how to even cope with being pregnant. It's not like I have a mother or sister or _anyone_ I know who's gone through a human pregnancy."

Tali started rubbing her Commander's back. "It'll be fine, Shepard. You'll have Garrus."

"Yeah. Knowing Garrus' love for guns, we'll have a third expert killer in the family."

Liara rolled her eyes, sitting on a bar stool and facing Shepard. "There are a few things _you_ need to decide, though."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're the pregnant one, so where do you want to be? I mean, you can stay on the Normandy or you could stay somewhere and buy a house."

Shepard's eyes widened. "B-but, I couldn't leave you guys all alone!"

"Shepard." Tali moved forward so she could look her Commander in the face. "We would manage. If you want to stay, you can. But, do you want to raise your child on the Normandy?"

Shepard's mouth drew into a thin line. "I don't know."

Chuckling, Liara stood. "That you can decide a little while later. Should we send messages to the crew?"

"I'd be willing to bet that Joker already sent them cryptic messages about it," Shepard said with a sigh that turned into a yawn. "I think I'm going to go take a nap."

Tali smiled. "We'll inform EDI of what she should do."

"Thanks you two. I owe you one."

Liara smirked. "You owe us a lot more than one, Shep."

~ Break ~

"Garrus? What are you doing here?"

Garrus jumped, almost dropping that dreaded data pad Shepard had given him. "O-oh. Hey, Vega."

"Whatcha got there, Loco?" James asked, sitting next to him at the bar.

Garrus sighed. "The results from Shepard's check-up."

"Hm?" James raised an eyebrow. "Was it something bad?"

"I'm not sure."

The N7 soldier laughed. "Not sure? What were the results?"

Garrus scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure she wants people to know."

James rolled his eyes, nodding a thank-you to the barkeeper when he placed some sort of purple drink in front of him. "Lola won't mind, Loco. What's up?" He lifted his drink to take a gulp.

"Shep's pregnant."

Vega spit his drink out on the counter. "What?!" He lowered his voice. "You got Lola pregnant?" After a conformation nod from Garrus, James started to laugh. "Bet she was happy about that."

"Not in the slightest."

"Who else knows?"

"Liara, EDI, Tali, and Joker."

"Phew. That bit of info won't stay secret for long." James chuckled, drinking some more. "Hope you're ready."

"For what? Everyone finding out or being a dad?"

"Both, Loco." Vega smirked, leaning back and laughing again.

Garrus stared at his drink for another minute before placing his face in his talons. "Oh spirits. I am screwed."

"You've got that right, Loco."

~ Break ~

Shepard yawned, sitting up. She smiled brightly. After sleeping, she had woken up with a plan. A plan that would probably go pretty well.

"EDI? Can you call the crew back to the ship?"

The AI's voice sounded as if she had been expecting this, "Of course, Commander. Shall I keep the reason a secret?"

"Yes. Thanks, EDI. Make sure they gather in the Shuttle Bay. Er, and only the members I could choose for the ground team. That includes Joker."

"Of course, Commander. Is there anything else?"

"No more. Thanks again, EDI."

"I'm happy to help."

Shepard smiled, stretching her arms towards the ceiling. After yawning twice more, she finally got out of bed, slipping on a pair of jeans and her N7 sweatshirt. Stretching again, she finally heard a satisfying _crack._

"There we go."

Smiling again, Shepard went into the bathroom. After a few seconds of studying her tangled, rat's nest of hair, she grabbed a brush. Ten minutes later, Shepard cursed herself for still having so much hair.

"Commander? All ground team members have assembled in the Shuttle Bay. Joker included."

Shepard smiled at herself in the mirror, finally finishing brushing her waist-length hair. "Thanks, EDI. I'm on my way down."

~ Break ~

Liara looked around curiously. She had already assumed the reason for this meeting, though she was surprised Shepard had thought of it. Most of the people there were looking quite please to finally have something to do. Garrus looked extremely nervous. Kaidan and Leo were standing near the back, glaring at Garrus whenever they thought no one was looking. Wrex was complaining that EDI had stopped him from bring more Ryncol aboard. Joker and EDI were standing near James' area. Liara also noticed Dr. Chakwas standing near the shuttle, hiding behind it slightly so no one would see her easily.

A small _ding_ cut all talking short. Shepard smiled at everyone brightly, her hair cascading down her back. She brushed some of it behind her ear as she headed towards the group. Very carefully, and with a 'small' amount of biotic lift on Liara's part, the Commander climbed onto the top of the shuttle. Garrus looked like he wanted to stop her, but just settled on wringing his talons together nervously.

"Hey everyone! Sorry to call you away from shore leave so suddenly. However, I have a very important announcement!" Small murmurs went through the crowd. "The first and most important is that I will _not_ be a part of the ground party anymore. Unless there's no fighting involved."

The crowd froze, not a single breath heard. Even Liara was surprised that she had decided that without a fuss.

"Shepard!" Wrex stepped forward, looking slightly peeved. "Does this mean we won't be doing anymore missions ground side?"

"Relax, Wrex." The commander smiled. "We _will_ still be doing missions. I expect the three members of my handpicked ground team to be in constant communication. Ground teams will be picked before the mission."

This time, Kaidan stepped forward. "Why, Commander? Why would you stop going on ground missions now?"

Shepard sighed, her smiled disappearing. She sat on the shuttle roof, hanging her legs over the side. "An interesting development came up."

Miranda knit her eyebrows together. "What could possibly keep you from joining the fight?"

Jack noticed Shepard's uneasiness and, with a sigh of reluctance, decided to help. She biotically jumped onto the shuttle, sitting next to Shepard. The crew looked at her, curiosity covering their faces.

"Why not give Shep a breath, huh?" Her glare made the group submit to silence. "She's learned something that's practically impossible."

"Impossible?"

Dr. Chakwas stepped out, leaning against the shuttle. "Yes, Grunt. Impossible. Well, apparently possible."

Miranda stepped forward. "Dr. Chakwas? If you know," she turned to look at Shepard. "Is something wrong?"

Shepard sighed. "Not really. It's not _wrong_ per say." She put her face in her hands, drawing her knees close. In truth, she resembled a sad kid who just got sent to time-out.

"Commander! You need to tell us!"

Javik sighed, stepping forward. "Stay quiet, primitive," he said with a frown at Vega. He jumped onto the shuttle. "I shall find out what is wrong." Before anyone could stop him, Javik lifted the Commander's head and placed his hand against it. After ten seconds, Javik let go, surprise barely noticeable in his eyes. "The Commander is with child."

The room froze again. This time, the silence lasted much longer. Leo, Jack, Chakwas, Liara, Tali, Joker, EDI, Javik, and Garrus gauged the others reactions.

Kaidan had gone pale, like he might just start to fade away. Grunt was in pure shock, confused by the fact that his battlemaster had gotten pregnant. Wrex looked torn between anger, surprise, and confusion over which one should be greater. The resident Justicar, Samara, was as emotionless on the outside as ever. Miranda looked to be deciding between horror and confusion. Sarasi looked amused, his mandibles widened in a smirk. Shepard's eyes were wide, her jaw giving the appearance that it might fall off if she opened it anymore.

Slowly, Shepard stood up. "I-." She paused. "I'll be in my cabin." Shepard slid off the shuttle carefully, heading straight towards the elevator. She was biting her lip as the door shut.

Once Shepard was gone, all eyes in the room shifted to Garrus. The Turian shifted uncomfortably.

"Garrus?"

"Y-yes?" the former mercenary replied, looking up.

Miranda knit her eyebrows together. "How long have _you_ known about this?"

"Earlier today. Shepard came out of the Med Bay and yelled at me."

A few chuckles emerged from the group. This quickly escalated into full-blown laughs as the absurdity ad impossibility of the situation set in.

~ Break ~

"No one can know, EDI. That's an order."

"And what if I choose to disobey?"

Shepard stood at the airlock door, glaring at the ceiling. "You can't. As commander, I order you to keep my destination a secret, unless I am in significant danger."

"As you wish, Commander."

Shepard nodded. "Thank you, EDI." She slipped out the airlock, heading towards the wards.

~ Break ~

As Shepard carefully sipped her soda and waited for her next meal – that she knew should have sounded disgusting – she felt a shiver go up her spine. Glancing around, she spotted two secretly armed Krogan by the door. Three more were spread out throughout the restaurant. Whether they were after her or not, she didn't know.

The Krogan by the door nodded at their comrades and drew their guns. After firing a few warning shots, everyone dropped to the floor, including the Commander. The three accomplices also drew their guns.

Shepard tapped her earpiece. "EDI?" she muttered into it. "Now would be the time to tell someone."

"On it, Commander."

One of the Krogan that had been inside stepped forward. "Everyone! We're looking for Commander Shepard. Give her to us and no one gets hurt."

The patrons began looking around wildly. One spotted her, but put his fingers to his lip, telling her to stay quiet. However, a few seconds later, a rich human spotted her. She looked frantic, like she wanted nothing more than to save her own ass.

"That looks like her!"

Shepard cringed. "Fuck." She jumped up biotically, falling on top of one of the Krogan and grabbing their gun. Doing a quick back-flip off of him, she rolled behind the counter. "Well this is just great. Can't I ever get a break?"

~ Break ~

A large screen lowered. The few remaining people in the Shuttle Bay – EDI, Joker, Garrus, Sarasi, Kaidan, Liara, and Tali – looked up in confusion and interest. A broadcast quickly came up. A young Asari stood in front of the camera.

"I'm here near the food place that was recently attacked."

The group looked at EDI in confusion. "Why are you showing us this, EDI?" Garrus asked. "C-Sec can handle it."

"Here is some audio we were able to retrieve from inside."

"_Everyone! We're looking for Commander Shepard. Give her to us and no one gets hurt."_

The group froze, turning to the screen again.

"We have a visual from inside!"

The group watched the screen. A small icon was in the bottom right, one that EDI had put there. It lit up when they heard a familiar voice say;

"_Fuck."_

On the screen, they say a familiar figure with red hair jump onto one of the Krogan and steal their gun before hiding behind a counter.

"_Well this is just great. Can't I ever get a break?"_

The red-headed figure fired a few shots at the Krogan.

"_EDI? Anything you can do to help?"_

EDI's platform nodded. "Yes, Commander. I can send the others who are currently watching the broadcast."

"_This is being broadcast?!" _In the video, they saw an annoyed Shepard lift her head up again to shoot the Krogan.

"Yes, Commander. Shall I send reinforcements?"

"_That sounds great, E-."_ A Krogan jumped from above Shepard, grabbing her. _"Fuck! EDI? Now would be great!" _The Krogan placed a small rag to her mouth. Her words started to slur a little as she spoke, _"EDIII? I need you to hurrrry."_ In the video, the group watched in horror as a Sky Car came down. Five Krogan piled in, one carrying an unconscious Shepard.

Garrus stood tall. "EDI? I need you to track that Sky Car. Everyone else? Time to suit up and save Shep!"

The group cheered before running off to collect their armor and weapons.

~ Break ~

Shepard slowly opened her eyes to study her surroundings. She quickly surmised that she was in some sort of jail cell. Currently, her legs, arms, and head were chained to the chair she was sitting in.

A young Quarian female stepped in through the only door. "Hello. Commander Shepard, yes?"

"What's it to you?" The heroine snarled in annoyance.

"I wouldn't be so rude to your captor." She leaned against the wall. "My name is Lia'Vael. Remember? You helped me against those two. Even stood up for me after."

Shepard thought for a moment. "Yes. I remember you."

"Oh, good. That means we don't need introductions."

"What do you want, Lia'Vael?"

Lia'Vael chuckled. "Don't be so hasty. We have a good amount of time before your small army manages to get in here." She sat on the floor, still leaning against the wall. "I want one thing from you, Miss Shepard."

"Like I'd do anything for you after you've kidnapped me!"

The Quarian smiled under her mask. "Don't be silly. I'm sure you'll reconsider. You see, I only want one small request. Then I can let you go."

"I think you're forgetting something. You're leaving something crucial part of this."

"Oh?" Lia'Vael looked amused. "What did I leave out?"

"You just kidnapped a pregnant woman. And I'd be willing to bet her fiance, with the best marksmanship in the galaxy is on his way here. And you pissed that particular Turian off." Shepard relaxed, smirking.

Lia'Vael's eyes widened under her mask. "Impossible. I thing I have an ultimatum."

"Oh?"

Lia'Vael drew a pistol, holding it to Shepard's head. "Do what I ask or die."

Without flinching, the Commander looked her captor in the eyes. "Do it. I dare you."

~ Break ~

"EDI? Is this the room?"

EDI's platform nodded. "According to the scans, Shepard should be just inside."

Garrus turned around, kicking open the door. "Huh? EDI? She's not here." Garrus looked about the room in confusion. "Hey, wait a second." A young Quarian woman was lying, dead, next to an empty chair covered in chains. "I know her. Shepard helped her out on the Citadel a while back."

"Scans show that Shepard was here at one point."

"Dammit. Liara, any ideas?"

Liara seemed thoughtful. "If Shepard attempted to get out of here on her own, she must have gone that way. Otherwise, we would have met her."

"Right. EDI, Liara? Let's go get Shep."

~ Break ~

Shepard felt a twinge in her stomach. "Shit. Not now, okay, sweetie?" She rubbed her belly a little before taking a look around the corner. The coast was clear. She headed down the hallway slowly. "Just a little farther. I'm sure I'll meet up with Garrus soon."

A Krogan rounded the corner. "Huh? Is that the prisoner?"

Quickly, Shepard activated her tactical cloak, running past the Krogan.

"What're you talking about?" asked the Krogan's patrol partner, a young Batarian.

"Must've been 'magining things."

Shepard continued to run. As time wore on, she grew more and more tired. "I need to rest." Shepard sat, exhausted next to the wall. She squinted her eyes together, ignoring her stomach and leg pains. The sound of gunfire from the direction she was going caught her attention.

A few Geth rounded the corner. The leader caught her attention. "Find Shepard-Commander."

'Legion?' Shepard thought in surprise. 'They told me you died in that suicide mission!' Taking a deep breath, Shepard uncloaked. "L-legion," she croaked out tiredly.

The Geth stopped moving, turning towards her. "Shepard-Commander. Please, come with us. We shall get you out of here." When Shepard made no motions, Legion picked her up, leaving a data-pad for Garrus to find later. "Do not worry, Shepard-Commander."

Shepard closed her eyes, this unusual exhaustion starting to bother her.

~ Break ~

"Dammit! Where is she?" Garrus punched the wall of the hallway, a frown evident on his face.

"Garrus?" Liara knelt down, picking up a data pad. "This is from Legion."

The former mercenary stepped froward. "Legion?" he asked with a frown. "I thought he died on the Collector Base."

"As did I," the Shadow Broker said with a frown. "This says that he has Shepard-Co-," she paused. "Commander Shepard. He and a few other units helped Shepard out of her safely."

Garrus took a deep breath, relieved. "Wait. Does it say where they are?"

"No, Garrus. We have to keep going and catch up to them."

"Let's go!" The Turian took off without a second glance, refusing to leave Shepard alone.

~ Break ~

Shepard opened her eyes slowly. She was lying in a bed in a small room. "L-Legion?"

"We are here, Shepard-Commander," Legion stated, standing near the door. "Do not worry. You and the other two lives inside of you are safe."

"Two?!" Shepard sighed. "Thank you, Legion. Though, where is Garrus?"

"No data available."

"Of course not." Shepard took a deep breath. "Thank you, Legion. How have you been?" The Commander smiled, sitting up so she could catch up with her old friend.


	21. Are We Done With Surprises?

**Chapter 21**

**My Comments :**

I'm running out of clever things to say. So, uh, enjoy yourselves! I'm lazy... I copy and paste my disclaimer every time... After this chapter, I think I'm going to go through and edit the previous chapters so more people will be willing to read through my – currently rough – beginning chapters. This means no more new chapters for a while. What do you guys/gals think? Oh, and remember that if I do decide to introduce Kasumi or Zaeed, they won't have met Shepard the way most of you would be used to. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA.

**The Story :**

Shepard walked through the halls of the Geth Dreadnought. As she walked by, Geth would bow their heads in respect at her and Legion. The two continued on their way, heading towards the control center of the ship.

"There," Legion continued to explain her current situation, "we will be able to locate the Normandy and return you."

Shepard nodded slowly. "What about you, Legion? Will you be returning to us?"

"We are currently unsure, Shepard-Commander." Legion's head plates moved as he checked his consensus.

"You don't need to decide right now, Legion. Unless we're really close to the Normandy," she added as an afterthought.

"The one who helped you is there as well, Shepard-Commander."

"Hm?" the Commander asked, looking up. "Helped me?"

Legion nodded, not missing a step. "She did not inform us of her name. However, she informed us of your location."

"Of course she didn't. That would be too easy." Shepard sighed, continuing to follow Legion.

~ Break ~

Garrus paced the Main Battery. He was confused. Everyone had thought Legion was dead. Not only that, but they dealt with a VI version of him on the dreadnought. Now, he had apparently 'saved' Shepard. But he hadn't contacted the Normandy in twelve hours. Even EDI couldn't find a trace of Shepard or the ship Legion had come on.

"Garrus," Liara said, leaning against the door frame. "You're going to wear a rut in the floor."

Sighing, the former mercenary leaned against the main guns. "Does it really matter?"

"Garrus," said the Shadow Broker with a sigh. "Shepard will be back. Think about it, would she have agreed to go with Legion if she didn't think she'd be able to get back?"

"I guess not, bu-."

EDI's voice interrupted the duo. "Garrus? There is a call that appears to be from a Geth Dreadnought."

The Turian almost fell down. "P-patch it through, EDI."

"_Hello, Vakarian. My name is Kasumi. I'm the one who warned Legion of Commander Shepard's position."_

Liara glared at the ceiling. Kasumi. Why did that name sound familiar? "Where is the Commander?"

"_Calm down, Miss T'soni. Shepard isn't in danger. She wasn't feeling well and just recently woke up. Any and all wounds have been taken care of."_

"Wounds?" Garrus questioned, his talons clutched together nervously.

"_None major, Vakarian. Shep and the little ones in her stomach are fine."_

Liara's eyes widened, but an even more surprised Garrus spoke first, "Little _ones_?"

Laughing, Kasumi's smirk could be heard over the audio, _"Ones. According to Legion's scans, there are two. Oh, Shepard's here. See you all near the Mass Relay. And by the way, head for the Mass Relay."_

Garrus spun, heading into the Mess Hall. "Joker? Set a course for the Mass Relay." Liara followed him without question.

~ Break ~

"You must be Kasumi." Shepard studied the hooded woman in front of her. The name was familiar, though she couldn't place it.

"You caught me, Shep." Kasumi smirked, leaning back in her chair.

The Commander, finally remembering her. 'Her' being her old contact for information during the mission against the collectors. "Ah, Kasumi. Never thought I'd see you again. Been keeping out of trouble?"

Legion cut in, "Kasumi has attempted to steal from us twenty-eight times since she arrived."

Kasumi chuckled. "Those are only the attempts." She laughed again as Legion's plates moved so he could process the information. "Anyway, Shep. Still alive and kicking, I see. Good to see the Reapers didn't keep you down for long."

"Three years," Shepard said, frowning. "And they actually brought me back to life."

"Well, at least you're still around, Shep. However, we'll have to catch up later. Your boyfriend is waiting at the Mass Relay in the Widow system." Kasumi leaned back farther. "Besides, I'd be willing to bet that he wants to talk to you."

~ Break ~

Garrus paced the cockpit. Joker was focusing on keeping the Normandy on path parallel to the relay. To the side, EDI was waiting for a any sort of signal.

"Incoming message. Activated."

"_Legion? Are we connected?"_

"_Yes, Shepard-Commander."_

Garrus sighed in relief. "Shepard!" He stopped his pacing. "You're alright!"

"_Of course I'm okay. Kasumi and Legion were taking very good care of me. And for some reason, all of the other Geth were bowing whenever I passed."_

Joker laughed. "Maybe they don't want to risk you tossing them around. We've seen your temper, Commander."

"_Very funny, Joker."_

Another female voice joined Shepard, _"So, you still being a good boyfriend to Shep, Garrus?"_

Garrus stood, confused. How did she know about that? He rubbed the scarred side of his face thoughtfully.

"_We don't really have that sort of relationship, Kasumi. We're engaged."_

"_Eh? If it wasn't for that Shadow Broker, my network would still be up. Damn."_

"_Shepard-Commander? We are approaching the Widow System."_

Shepard sighed. _"Thanks, Legion. I'll be there soon, alright Garrus?" _He could almost hear her smile. _"And I promise to try to stop almost dying. Okay?"_

"I'll hold you to that, Shepard." Garrus' mandibles widened in a smirk.

~ Break ~

Shepard leaned against the airlock that was currently matching pressure between the Normandy and the Geth Dreadnought. Her two newest teammates stood behind her, Kasumi to the left and Legion to the right. The thief looked pretty amused to be able to meet most of the old crew again. Legion was taking in all the information he possibly could.

"Pressure equalized."

The door slid open slowly. On the other side, Garrus, Liara, and EDI stood, relief covering their faces. Joker could be heard from the cockpit, half complaining and half joking about how he wanted to be back at the Citadel instead of a few feet from an army of Geth.

Garrus' mandibles spread in a quick smile. "Shepard," he said, his voice laced with relief.

The Commander smirked. "You ought to stop worrying. Look at me, not even a scratch." She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "I didn't get hurt at all, Garrus. I'm fine."

Kasumi glanced at Shepard before nodding in agreement. "Shep's right, Garrus. Not even a single scratch." She shrugged, grabbing Legion's arm. "C'mon, Legion. Let's let Shep relax and settle back in."

Shepard watched in amusement at Kasumi dragged the annoyed Geth with her. When she turned her attention back to the others, Liara looked even more annoyed than Legion.

"What were you thinking, Shepard? Going off on your own like that is dangerous! You should have known better!"

The Commander grit her teeth together in annoyance. "It's not like I was _expecting_ that to happen, Liara! Do you think I left the ship thinking 'man, I'd love to get kidnapped today'?!" Shepard noticed her fiance take a well-informed step back. "I left because I didn't want to get hounded by the crew!" Taking a deep breath, the Commander barely kept a red glow from returning. "Listen to me Liara, and listen well. I do _not_ have a death wish, especially not now. Even if that is against the galaxy's belief. I actually _know_ that I'm not just responsible for myself now, Liara. Why don't you step into my shoes for just a few seconds?!"

The Shadow Broker frowned visibly. "S-Shepard. I," she sighed. "I was just worried. I'm sorry."

Pointing at the CIC, Shepard glared at Liara. "I'd be willing to bet you weren't the only one." She spun on her heels, heading for the elevator.

Liara sighed. "By the goddess." She leaned against the airlock. "I need to wind down a little."

EDI said nothing, but gestured for Garrus to follow Shepard. He nodded in agreement and started towards the elevator.

"Do not worry, Liara. It would appear that Shepard's hormone levels are higher than usual."

Liara stood up straight, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the statement. "Thanks, EDI. I'm feeling better already."

~ Break ~

Shepard leaned against the wall nearest to the toilet in the bathroom. Her stomach continued to grumble at her while she mumbled obscenities in response. However, Shepard was still smiling. Her old friend Kasumi had returned, she had found Legion, _and_ she was back aboard the Normandy. Other than what those two in her stomach were doing to her, she was pretty happy.

The _ding_ of the elevator surprised Shepard. She frowned and her eyebrows furrowed, wondering who it was.

"Shepard?" Garrus curiously called out when the door to the cabin opened. She heard him tap his eye piece then round the corner. "Shepard? Ah, there you are." He leaned against the bathroom door frame. "Still feeling like shit?"

Carefully, the Commander stood up and smirked. "And who's fault is that?"

The former mercenary walked up to his fiance, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Mm. I have no idea." He pressed his forehead to hers.

Shepard smiled. "Uh-huh. Sure you don't." She separated herself from her fiance, heading into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "How are you doing?"

Garrus frowned as he came down the steps and leaned against the display case. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

A frown replaced Shepard's happy smile. "I'm fine, Garrus. I got to Lia'Vael before she could hurt me." She continued the staring contest with her fiance. "Honestly. I_ can_ take care of myself."

The form mercenary started walking towards her. "I know that, Shep. I just don't want you to get hurt." He wrapped his arms around Shepard.

The Commander cringed a little. Quickly, Garrus let go, eying her carefully.

"Where are you hurt?"

"N-nowhere." Shepard looked away, biting her bottom lip.

"Shep," he said, his stern, "Where are you hurt?"

Sighing, Shepard looked at him. "I have a little scratch on my back. It's really nothing. Honestly."

"Let me see," the former mercenary said quietly, his eyes full of worry.

With another sigh, the Commander slipped off her shirt and sweatshirt. A large bandage was wrapped around her entire upper body. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Garrus recoil slightly. She slowly unwrapped the bandage and turned around, showing her fiance the scar. He recoiled again at the large reddened gash that went from Shepard's left shoulder to the right side of her hip.

"Shepard," he muttered in horrified awe.

"See? It's nothing," Shepard stared at her hands.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why do you think?" She bit her bottom lip. "I didn't want you to worry. You worry about me enough as it is."

Sighing, Garrus ruffled her hair. "I always worry about my reckless fiance. She tends to do things without bringing others for backup." He grabbed the bandage and started to wrap the wound again.

"I wonder why she'd do that," Shepard said with a forced smile. After that, she sat quietly while Garrus wrapped her up.

"You don't need to do everything on your own, Shep." Garrus finished wrapping her back, helping her slip her shirt back on. "The whole crew is here for you."

"I know, Garrus. It just seems that whenever I want time for myself, someone tries to kill me or kidnap me."

The former mercenary chuckled. "Riiight. Maybe it's a sign."

"Oh yeah. What's the sign? I don't get to have free time?"

"Maybe. Guess you'll just have to deal with us, huh?"

Shepard rolled her eyes, lying back on the bed. "Apparently." She smiled happily, yawning loudly.

"Get some sleep. I'll keep the scar a secret from the crew for you, but I'll need to tell Karin so I can get stuff for it." He covered his fiance with the blanket. "Try to sleep alright? You've been through a lot."

Garrus pat her shoulder lightly before heading to the elevator.

"Mm. Thank you, Garrus." Shepard smiled as she snuggled against the blanket.

~ Break ~

Garrus stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the Med Bay. When he walked in, he was surprised to see that Karin wasn't there. In fact, it was empty.

"Ah, Garrus, right?"

Garrus jumped. Maybe it wasn't empty. "Who's there?"

Sitting on the bed closest to Karin's seat, Kasumi uncloaked. "Relax, Vakarian. It's just me."

"Why does that make me want to relax less?" Garrus glared at the master thief.

"Aw, don't be mean. I was just finishing my visit with Legion when you came in." She shrugged. "No need to get your panties in a twist."

"My what?"

"Never mind. I'm going now. Nice seeing you again, Vakarian." Kasumi recloaked, disappearing.

Garrus tilted his head in confusion. "Again?"

~ Break ~

"_Daddy!" Shepard ran up to her father, jumping into his arms._

_Anderson smiled. "Hey, sweetie. How was your lesson? Sorry I wasn't there."_

"_It's fine, dad. And it went great!" The eleven-year old jumped up and down in excitement. "I got a perfect score with the mantis!"_

"_That's great, honey!" Anderson ruffled his daughter's hair. "Want to get some ice cream to celebrate?"_

"_Yeah!" Shepard smiled brightly. "Love you, dad."_

"_I love you too, Shepard."_

~ Break ~

Shepard's eyes shot open. She glanced around the room before deciding that no one was there. Shifting her gaze to the clock, she groaned. She'd been asleep for thirty minutes. Sitting up, Shepard yawned and stretched her arms.

"Might as well get up. No way I can sleep with that memory." She visibly frowned, not wanting to think about her father at that moment. "Maybe I should- urf." Standing up, Shepard headed for the bathroom. After throwing up again, she decided it would be best to take a shower.

As Shepard let the warm water flow over her, she forgot about the scar, her father, and even the kidnapping. She smiled brightly again. Once out of the shower, she decided on a pair of jeans and her N7 sweatshirt.

"Time to see the crew," Shepard said, a smile spreading across her face.

~ Break ~

"Jack? You down here?" Shepard called out, her eyes skimming the hidey-hole. "Huh. She's not here. Maybe she's visiting Miranda in one of the Observation Decks." With a shrug, Shepard headed up. "Tali? You here?"

"Shepard!" Tali turned away from her console and hugged her friend. "You're okay!"

The Commander avoided cringing from the pressure on her scar. "Yeah. I'm fine, Tali. No need to worry."

The Quarian engineer reluctantly let go of her. "We were all worried about you. How's the little one?" Tali said, gesturing to Shepard's stomach.

"_They_'re fine, Tali."

"They?!"

"Legion's scans say there are two."

Tali hugged her Commander again. "That's great!"

"Calm down, Tali. How are you doing?"

The Quarian shrugged. "Pretty well. There's not much to do, but my Commander keeps getting herself into trouble."

"Oh really? I'm pretty sure the Commander's main engineer is trying to get _her_self into trouble."

Tali raised her hands in surrender. "Fair enough, Shepard."

"I'll see you later, Tali. I need to check my job list," Shepard said with a chuckle.

~ Break ~

"No, Javik. I didn't do it on purpose."

Today, Shepard had saved Javik for last. She had assumed he would tire her out more than usual, so she planned ahead. So far, she was right. He had immediately began to question her on her pregnancy.

"Eh. Primitives." Javik glared at her before turning back to his basin. "I do not understand you."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "It's not like this is an awful development. It just means that I can't fight on the front lines anymore."

Javik glared at her again. "Then why bother if it keeps you from fighting?"

"Because it brings new life into the world. In this case, new lives that will be the first on their kind."

"Bah. Primitives." Javik turned back to the basin. "I will never understand you. Leave."

Rolling her eyes, Shepard headed for the door. "Keep this up, and I won't pick you for ground team leader on the next mission." She heard an annoyed grumble from Javik and smirked.

~ Break ~

Garrus opened the door, walking in. "Shepard? Are you awake?" He looked around the room. "Shepard?" After checking the bathroom, Garrus sighed. "Already up and about?" He shook his head, placing the special Medi-Gel on the desk. "Why am I not surprised?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, Garrus yawned. "Maybe I'll just lay down and wait."

~ Break ~

Shepard tapped the side of the elevator in annoyance. She had waited for the elevator for two minutes because someone was apparently going to her cabin. She knew fully well who it was, but was still annoyed that she had to wait. Especially after dealing with Javik and the others. Kaidan and Leo had both refused to talk to her, Liara was too busy to talk, Joker was sleeping in his chair, EDI and Legion were both charging, Sarasi was busy learning human fighting techniques from Vega, and Kasumi was nowhere to be found. Needless to say, it hadn't been a successful day.

The _ding_ of the elevator interrupted Shepard's moping. She walked out of the elevator and into her cabin. She froze when she spotted Garrus. _Sleeping_. Usually, the only time she ever saw Garrus sleeping was when she managed to wake up before him, which wasn't often. He looked very peaceful. And knowing Garrus, he hadn't slept since they found out she was pregnant.

The Commander carefully walked down the steps and laid next to him. As she pressed her forehead against his, he mumbled something in his sleep and wrapped his arms around her. Shepard smirked, falling asleep.

~ Break ~

"_Major Geo?"_

_Geo spun in his chair. "Ah, it's you, miss. Is something wrong?"_

_The thirteen year old lifted one of the soldiers by the back of his shirt. "He tried to hit on me again. I think I threw him too hard."_

_Geo studied the unconscious soldier for a few moments before laughing. "I wouldn't worry about it, miss. He has a hard head." He ruffled the young girl's hair. "I'll have someone bring him to the Med Bay, alright?"_

"_Okay." Shepard dropped him. "What're you doing?"_

"_I'm writing a report on the ship's condition."_

"_That sounds boring."_

_The Major laughed. "It is, but I've got to do it. Want to do me a favor?"_

_The girl jumped in excitement. "Yeah!"_

"_I got some new modifications for the assault rifles. Could you add them all?"_

"_Of course!" The girl spun on her heels and made a mad dash for the armory._

_Geo laughed again, before looking at the man. "Jeez. You'd think he'd learn his lesson. That girl has got to be some sort of super girl with that strength." He pressed a button. "Jacob? Can you come get Ferris? He tried to hit on the little miss again."_

_A laugh came from the other end. "I'll be right up. Sure he's alive?"_

~ Break ~

Garrus went to stretch his arms when he realized one of them was covered by someone. He opened his eyes and spotted Shepard. She was smiling in her sleep. When he started to back up, she frowned and snuggled closer. He chuckled lightly. After staring at her for a few more seconds, he lifted his free arm and started to play with a few strands of her hair.

In all honesty, he didn't understand why humans did so much with it. It seemed useless. But at the same time, it was really soft. He found himself wondering if their twins would have hair like their mother, or if they'd be more like him.

"Mm. Is my hair that interesting, Vakarian?"

Garrus jumped a little, letting go on his fiance's hair. "Shepard? You're awake?"

"I am now." She yawned loudly. "So, what about my hair is so interesting?"

Garrus looked away. "W-well, I was just thinking about how soft it was." He could almost hear Shepard smirk. "And I was wondering if our kids would have it."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Who knows. I guess we'll just have to wait and see." She shrugged. "Patience is a virtue, Garrus."

The former mercenary rolled his eyes. "You're telling _Archangel_ that patience is important?"

"Mm. Good point." She yawned again. "Go back to bed, Garrus."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because you haven't slept enough. Now go to bed."

"And what's keeping me from getting out of bed?"

Shepard glared at him tiredly. "If you get up, I will biotically drag your ass back to bed."

Garrus laughed, raising his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. You win this battle."

"I'll always win," the Commander said with a smirk, curling into her fiance.

Smiling, Garrus wrapped his arms around her again, falling asleep.


	22. Hello Princess Shepard

**Chapter 22**

**My Comments :**

Yay! More chapters! Wow, I still suck at action. Anyway, small problem. I'm losing my computer tomorrow. This means chapters will be coming a _lot_ slower. Sorry. I did make this one longer because of that though! So, enjoy! ^.^

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy. That honor belongs to EA and Bioware. I do, however, own this plot.

**The Story :**

Shepard continued to scroll through her mission list. For most of them, she just contacted Monarch and had her send a couple AIs to take care of it since they didn't need her actual attendance. After she sorted those out, the Commander was left with five missions. A _ping_ interrupted her reading and a sixth appeared. The name made her breath catch. _Mindoir: Cerberus Lab._ She was frowning visibly as she read the document.

_Many people have gone over to the laboratory on the Mindoir colony. An agent was able to tell us the name of the group before being found out. Cerberus. Ever since, the lab has been surrounded by soldiers 24/7 and it has been impossible to stop them. Many people are being tested on against their will and dying. We request assistance in this matter._

_Silia, Leader of the Mindoir Colony_

Shepard sighed before deciding that this would be their mission. "Joker? Set a course for Mindoir."

"_Commander?"_ Joker sounded confused. _"Why would we need to go there?"_

"We got a mission that requires our immediate attention."

"_Er, right. Sure thing, Commander."_

Shepard glanced at her fiance before heading out the door. "EDI? Can you wake Garrus up when we're almost there?"

"_Of course, Shepard."_

The first human spectre smiled. "Thanks, EDI."

~ Break ~

Shepard stared at the panel in front of her. She was having a hard time deciding who to send. It was strange not being able to go. In all honesty, it pissed her off a little. With a sigh, the Commander leaned back and looked around the War Room. Currently, it was empty. In a few minutes however, EDI would inform the crew that a mission was being prepped.

"Alright, Shep. Concentrate. You can do this."

Finally, the Commander decided on a plan. Several ground parties would attack from different sides. Each would have a different purpose.

"Perfect!"

~ Break ~

"Now that everyone's here, here's the plan." Shepard stood calmly in front of them. She had her original Commander front that made her distinctly Shepard.

"The first team, Alpha, will be our infiltration team. They're main purpose will be to sneak into the facility and take them out from the inside. Garrus will lead." She ignored the eye rolls. "With you, you'll take Tali and Kasumi." After a conformation nod from Garrus and Tali, and a tap from the cloaked Kasumi, Shepard continued. "Beta team will work as a distraction for Alpha." She glanced up. "This will involve a lot of loud noises and shooting. Jack will lead. Grunt and Wrex, you're with her."

"Ha! We'll show them what the Krogan can do!" Wrex cheered loudly.

Jack merely smirked. "Well, not like I'm surprised Princess."

"Charlie team. Once Alpha has provided significant distraction, you'll enter the base from this point on the other side of the base. Liara, you'll lead. Legion and Sarasi, you're with her. Delta? You'll be on the opposite side of Beta. Once Charlie is ready to head in, you'll distract the guards near them. Vega, you'll lead. Samara and Javik will be with you. Echo will provide support and will consist of Miranda, EDI, and Joker. Any questions?"

Silence filled the room. Shepard smirked.

"That's what I like to hear! Suit up and get ready to go!"

~ Break ~

"_Everyone is in position, Shepard._"

"Thanks, EDI." The Commander's eyes scanned over the map of the area for the fifth time. 12 red dots blinked evenly on the screen. Several green dots stood on and around a square that represented the lab. Two blue marks represented the entrances Alpha and Charlie would be using.

"Beta team, commence operation."

"_On it, Princess. Grunt! Wrex! Let's fuck these guys up!"_

Shepard cringed at the sound of the Krogans' war cries in her ear piece. On the screen, three red dot to the right of the square moved towards it. Green dots around the facility headed towards the wall. Shepard watched the dots and waited for an opening.

"Alpha! Move in!"

"_On it, Shep."_

The Commander watched three dots move swiftly towards the blue mark closest to them. They got inside without a problem.

"_Most of the guards are on their way outside to see what the commotion is about. What about the unarmed?"_

Shepard sighed quietly. "Use the special grenades. We can't let them get injured."

"_Affirmative. Switching to anesthetic grenades,"_ Garrus called out to his team.

Shepard waited until the red dots were near the center of the facility before calling out, "Delta! Distraction time!"

"_You got it, Lola."_

The Commander watched three more red dots engage the enemy.

"Charlie team! Head into the facility," she called out, her eyes scanning the map.

A few people in the War Room continued to call out to each other. Random numbers and various code names that Shepard was trying to ignore.

"_We're in, Shepard,"_ Liara said calmly. _"This appears to be a holding center to test subjects." _There was a long pause.

"Charlie?"

"_By the Goddess, Shepard. It's,"_ Liara took a deep breath. _"It's too horrid to describe."_

"_Stupid primitives,"_ Javik muttered, unaware his comm was on.

The Commander sighed. "I'm sorry, Liara. But right now we need to stop them."

"_Commander?"_

"What is it Echo?"

Miranda's voice was strained, _"There's something wrong with EDI. She's short-circuiting."_

"What?!"

"_Commander, she's acting the same as when the clone took the ship,"_ Joker sounded completely worried.

"Calm down, Joker. I'll send someone to the AI core to check it out." Shepard clenched her fist. Why now of all times?

Traynor barreled into the War Room. "Commander!"

"Yes, specialist?"

"A group is trying to force their way into the ship!"

Shepard clenched her teeth, staring at the red dots on the monitor. She needed to think fast. "Traynor! Take my place." She handed her mouth piece to the specialist. "Keep in touch with them and me. They can _not_ know what is going on. If they get distracted, things could get ugly."

"B-but Commander-!"

"No buts, Specialist Traynor." She spun. "Listen to me! If you can shoot a gun, go and get yours! We need to defend the Normandy until the ground team returns!"

A cheer rose up from the crew.

~ Break ~

Garrus sighed, relaxing his arm. "Shepard? That's the rest of them inside. We've met up with Charlie team."

"_Okay, Garrus. Copy that."_

"Traynor? Where's Shepard?"

"_Oh, erm, about that. Is everything set down there? I don't see anymore enemies."_

Liara looked confused. "Everything is fine here. All enemies are eliminated. Is everything alright over there?"

"_Well, um, not all of the Cerberus troops were at the base. A few Phantoms are in the Normandy. They're the reason EDI shut down."_ They heard Traynor gasp. _"Shoot! They're in the ship. Listen carefully. You guys need to double time it here. Like, now!"_

Static filled the comm. "Traynor?!" Garrus called. "Shit." He tapped his eyepiece. "You heard what Traynor said. Everyone back to the ship!"

~ Break ~

Shepard backed away. "Shit!" The last person she had to back her up fell. If she couldn't hold the Crew Deck, then they could get to the rest of the ship. She had to stop them.

The three phantoms tilted their heads at her. They continued to advance, their swords drawn.

The Commander sighed, lowering one hand so it rested on her stomach. "I can't let you win! I have too much to live for!"

An all-to-familiar red glow surrounded Shepard as she grit her teeth. She raised both of her arms above her head, looking at the ceiling of the CIC. She suddenly lowered her head, bringing her arms with her. As an extremely powerful force crushed the phantoms to the ground, Shepard said one word;

"Die."

~ Break ~

"We're here!"

The group skidded to a halt behind Garrus. They had finally reached the Normandy. All five teams had made it out safe and sound, but all concern was currently on Shepard, EDI, and the rest of the ship's crew.

"G-guys?"

The group turned to Joker, who looked utterly confused. In his arms, EDI was beginning to move again. Her eyes shot open and she stood on her own.

"I am okay," she said calmly, testing her joints.

"What happened?"

"I am unsure, Jeff. Phantoms destroyed some of the technology in the AI Core. I appear to have been fixed. It would also appear that the Cerberus life signs in the ship have decreased greatly."

"What about Shepard?"

As if to answer Liara's question, the airlock door broke from the ship and landed a little ways behind the group. A Cerberus troop laid on top of it.

"You sons of bitches think you can take _my fucking ship_?!"

The teams spun again, spotting their beloved Commander. She looked completely unharmed, but she was breathing heavily and the red glow didn't really inspire confidence. Jumping forward biotically, she landed next to the troop.

"Why the _fuck_ did you try to take _my_ ship while I was busy? Who the fuck sent you?!" Shepard practically snarled as she interrogated the Cerberus trooper.

The Commander moved so her back was facing them, and Garrus' worst fear came alive; her wound had reopened while she was fighting the Cerberus agents. Blood stained the back of her white t-shirt.

"Shepard," Garrus said calmly, taking a step towards her.

The galaxy's hero froze. She stood up straight and turned around. After blinking a few times, the glow began to fade and Shepard collapsed on the ground. Garrus carefully picked her up and headed towards the Normandy's Med Bay. Legion followed him.

An invisible force lifted the troop up. A familiar female voice spoke the Cerberus agent, "Who sent you, scum?" Kasumi uncloaked. "I expect you to tell us everything."

The agent looked at her in fear, and cringed when he saw the rest of the pissed-off crew.

~ Break ~

Garrus watched as Chakwas stitched the wound up.

"I don't know what she'd do without you, Garrus. You got her here just in time."

The former mercenary sighed. "I should have known what had happened when she stopped checking in."

"Stop blaming yourself. Shepard will be upset if you blame yourself. Besides, she'll be blaming it on herself."

Legion looked up from his work in the AI Core. "Shepard-Commander should have left Echo team here." He went back to work.

Garrus mumbled under his breath, "I should have stayed."

"If you really think that, go screw yourself."

Dr. Chakwas and Garrus froze, turning to the only occupied bed. The Commander was laying on her stomach, but had propped herself up on her elbows so she could more easily glare at Garrus.

"Legion was right," she said, taking a deep breath and shaking her head to clear it. "I should have told Echo team to guard the Normandy. It was negligence on my part, Garrus." Shepard smiled weakly, her eyes bright.

Garrus felt his mandibles widening in a grin despite his best effort to try to stay mad at her. "Oh spirits, Shepard. Please be more careful."

The Commander chuckled, but winced in pain. "I'm always careful." She carefully rolled over so she was sitting on the bed, her legs dangling over the side.

"I wouldn't advise moving, Commander," Karin said sternly.

"Dr. Chakwas has a point. You shouldn't move. Anyway, what about before? You tore the door off of the airlock!"

Shepard's eyes widened. "I did what?" She shook her head. "No. That doesn't make sense. I was using my biotics to attack the Phantoms. My _regular_ biotics."

Legion looked up again. "That is incorrect Commander. You had an odd light emanating from your body. It was unlike the color that results from 'regular' biotics." Legion lowered his head, focusing on putting the core back together.

"I-I used my," Shepard froze, her eyes widened in horror.

Garrus seemed confused. "You didn't realize you were using them?" He watched his fiance slowly shake her head.

A small and soft feminine voice sounded from the entrance to the Med Bay, "Excuse me. I hate to interrupt. My name is Silia."

Shepard slowly climbed off the bed. She limped lightly as she walked over to the young human woman. "Nice to meet you, Silia. I'm Commander Shepard."

Silia smiled brightly, putting a strand of sun-bleached hair behind her ear. "Thank you for your assistance, Commander. Many of our people were saved thanks to you." She glanced her over. "Did you get hurt during the fight?"

The Commander laughed. "I wasn't actually a part of the fight, but the ship got attacked during the mission. Don't worry. No major injuries."

"Oh, well that's good!" Suddenly, the woman jumped. "Oh right! The colony offered to help with fixing your ship to help repay you. It's the least we can do!"

Garrus shook his head. "It's a nice offer, but we only really need parts."

"We can do that!" Silia smiled. "I'll ask the Specialist upstairs for a list of what parts you need. We have a few metal workers so it shouldn't take too long!" Silia spun, running towards the elevator.

"So," Garrus said, his gaze switching to Shepard, "you know her?"

Shepard rolled her eyes, but was starting to get a little dizzy. "Not really. She's the one that requested we come here to take care of the facility." She placed a hand on Karin's deck to steady herself.

"Shepard?" The former mercenary studied his fiance carefully. "Let's get you to bed." He picked her up carefully. "I'll make sure she stays in bed, Karin."

"Mhmm. You'd better, Vakarian." Dr. Chakwas turned back to her stack of data pads.

~ Break ~

Garrus watched his fiance breath deeply, her face serene. After a few minutes of arguing, he had finally gotten her to go to bed. A few seconds after her head had hit the pillow, she was fast asleep. He was quite used to seeing her face tense while she was sleeping because of nightmares. To him, this was pleasant change.

He left the room slowly, stepping into the elevator. "EDI? How are the ship repairs coming along?"

"The parts have just arrived, Garrus. Specialist Traynor is currently sorting through them."

The former mercenary nodded. "Alright. Tell Traynor I'm on my way up to check over everything."

"Acknowledged," the AI said calmly, disconnecting.

~ Break ~

_Shepard looked around. "Huh," she said calmly._

_She was oddly aware that she was dreaming. However, this was new. The forest from before she had died was in full bloom, the sun shining through the leaves. A cobblestone pathway made a visible line of travel, and there were benches every once in a short while. On the bench a few feet in front of her, a young girl with red hair was sitting._

"_Hey," Shepard said calmly. "What are you doing here alone?"_

_The little girl looked up at her with big, innocent golden eyes. "My mommy told me to wait."_

"_Is she coming back?"_

_The girl shrugged, placing her hands in her lap after adjusting her strapless red sundress. "I'm not sure. I think I'd rather stay here forever. This forest is pretty. Have you been here before?"_

_Shepard sat on the bench next to the familiar young girl. "Yes, but it wasn't as pretty before." She tried to place how she knew the girl, but failed._

"_I like the flowers. Roses are my favorite." The child jumped off the bench, walking to a rose bush a little ways away. "They're so pretty."_

_Smiling, Shepard joined the girl by the rose bush. "They're my favorite too," she said kneeling next to her. "My best friend when I was younger kept trying to grow them so he could give me one."_

"_Are you happy with the way things are now?"_

"_Huh?"_

_The girl turned to Shepard, her golden eyes curious. "Are you happy?"_

"_Not with everything, but nothing can be happy all the time."_

"_Mm." The child walked back to the bench, sitting down. "So I won't be happy when I'm older?"_

_Shepard froze. That's how she knew the girl! It was her when she was younger. "I'm happy sometimes," she said, joining her younger self on the bench. "I've got the best fiance in the galaxy and I'm going to have two kids of my own."_

"_That makes you happy?"_

"_It does."_

"_What about the others that you make unhappy?"_

"_You can't make everyone happy. I'm not going to make myself unhappy just to make others happy."_

_Little Shepard nodded. "I guess that's a good way to look at it."_

_The Commander ruffled her younger self's hair. "Things will be fine."_

"_What about mother and father?"_

"_Well, um, they-."_

"_They didn't make it, huh? That's good. I never liked them anyway."_

_Shepard cringed. She'd never actually gone this in-depth into her emotions as a child. Those emotions were a mess of depression and hatred, which was exactly the reason she'd never done it before. How she felt about life back then scared her almost more than the Reapers had._

"_It's true. I never liked them."_

_Shepard frowned. "You liked them a little. I mean, dad was nice to you. Er, us."_

"_I guess. He never stopped her though." Little Shepard stood up. "I have to go home." She turned. "I don't want to be late." She started running down the path, waving. "Bye me!"_

_The Commander sat, frozen to the spot. "Oh, uh, bye."_

_Shadows began to step out from behind trees. None of them had faces, but they spoke just like Shepard's old comrades. The ones she had lost, or almost lost._

"_Someone else might've gotten it wrong."_

_Shepard's eyes widened, and she pulled her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms around them._

"_Negative! It's too hot! We'll hold them off as long as we can!"_

_Shepard buried her face in her knees._

"_That assassin should be embarrassed. A terminally ill Drell managed to stop him from reaching his target."_

_The Commander bit her lower lip hard. "Please," she muttered. "I didn't want anything to happen to you."_

"_You did good, child. You did good. I'm proud of you."_

"_Dad!" Shepard bit her lip harder, feeling cool tears slide down her face._

~ Break ~

Traynor sighed. "You've already checked everything over, Garrus. We all know you're too worried about Shepard to concentrate. Just go back up to your cabin."

The former mercenary glared at Traynor before sighing. "Alright, fine. Call me if you need anything." Garrus spun on his heels, heading towards the elevator.

He took one last forlorn look towards everyone working before stepping in and hitting '1'. Leaning against the wall, he tapped his talon against his leg.

_Ding._ Garrus sighed in relief, opening the door to the cabin. He froze when he spotted Shepard. She was curled into a ball, her hands covering her head. Her body was shuddering from crying.

"Shepard!" The former mercenary jumped over the steps, skidding to a halt next to Shepard.

"H-huh?" The Commander stopped shaking. She slowly moved so she was sitting. Her face was stained with tears and blood was dripping her bottom lip. "G-Garrus?" Despite talking to him, her eyes were on her hands. Blood from her lip stained them both.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Garrus stepped closer, picking up and holding both of her hands in his talons.

"I-it was just a d-dream." Shepard didn't move her head.

Garrus moved so he was sitting next to her. He didn't move his hands. "Tell me about it."

Without interruption, the Commander told Garrus about the beginning of her dream. Her voice caught during the last thing she heard.

Her fiance removed one of his talons, rubbing her back. "You don't need to say it if you don't want to."

Shepard shook her head. "I heard Anderson. I-it was his last words. Telling me he was proud of me."

Garrus hugged her. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

Nodding slowly, the Galaxy's hero led her fiance lead her to the bathroom.

~ Break ~

Shepard yawned again as she stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her. She sat at her desk, ignoring the inquisitive glance her fiance sent her from his perch on the couch. Opening her messages, she spotted the new one she had heard appear from the bathroom.

_Hello Commander!_

_Silia again! Despite the Turian's orders, we wanted to do more to thank you! We're holding a little party to celebrate. Formal attire. Your whole crew is invited. We'll have drinks and dancing. Dinner too. We already checked; we have food for the Krogan, Turians, Quarians, and Asari. Humans too of course. 7 o'clock. We hope to see you there!_

_Silia_

Shepard frowned visibly, checking the time. It was six. Great.

"Shep? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," she said sighing. "Go get your tux."

"Why?" Garrus studied his fiance curiously.

"Because the crew is going to a party."

"Ooo. Fun," Kasumi said, uncloaking. She stood behind Shepard.

"Kasumi!" Garrus jumped up, annoyance evident on his face.

The Commander waved her hand dismissively. "You too, Kasumi. Formal attire."

Both the thief and former mercenary sighed in annoyance, going to find their outfits.

Shepard waited for them to leave before going to her closet. She finally decided on the outfit Liara had given her shortly after returning. Before putting it on, she sent a message to the ground party members, telling them to prepare.

"This will be fun," she muttered, trying to keep her mind off of the last party she'd been to on Mindoir.

~ Break ~

Liara glanced at the group. Other than Sarasi and Leo, everyone was in the same outfits as the party she'd planned. Even Grunt and Wrex had dressed up. Sarasi and Leo had adorned tuxes as well. They were all currently standing outside the ship.

"Anyone have any idea why we're dressed like this?"

EDI turned to her boyfriend. "The Commander received a message, Jeff. There is a party being hosted in our honor. For saving the colony."

"How many times have I told you to stop reading my messages, EDI?" The Commander exited the ship, joining the group outside her ship.

"Twenty-eight directly, Commander. Thirty-five indirectly."

A few chuckles emerged from the group. "Oh haha. Very funny. Let's go." Shepard walked past the group, leading the way.

After a few curious glances among themselves, they followed their Commander.

~ Break ~

"Yay! You did show up!" Silia jumped up and down in excitement. "Perfect timing too! Please come in!"

The group followed Silia into the hall. Bright decorations were spread throughout the hall. Tables covered in red tablecloths were dotted near the wall. In the middle of the floor, a slightly raised dance floor with bright lights rested. In the back, a DJ was set up. Next to him, was the bar.

"We thank you for coming," Silia said before leaving to mingle with the crowds that were already there.

It didn't take long for the group to split up. Jack and Miranda went to one of the tables, sitting so they could see everyone. Joker sat at a table near the dance floor and watched EDI dance. Sarasi and Leo went for the bar with Grunt and Wrex. Chakwas joined Joker, leaving the seat next to him empty so EDI could sit there. Kasumi cloaked and disappeared into the crowd. Legion stood a little ways away from Shepard, deciding to follow her since he wasn't that comfortable here. Samara, Tali, Kaidan, Javik, and Liara sat a table, talking about whatever came to mind. James and Cortez slowly started making their way to the bar, trying to seem inconspicuous. Leo merged into a large crowd. Garrus stuck by Shepard's side, his arm interlaced with hers.

"Are you okay, Shepard?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. This place is, uh, that place."

Garrus, realizing what she meant, just widened his mandibles in a smile. "Not anymore, Shep. I would say let's dance, but I've seen your dancing skills."

"Very funny, Vakarian." Shepard shot him a glare. "And for your information, I've taken dancing lessons."

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes, really! Spent a few million credits on it too," she muttered.

Before Garrus could respond with a joke at his fiance's expense, Silia walked over with a tray. Three drinks were on it.

"Hiya! I brought some drinks for all of you!" Silia passed them out, smiling.

Shepard stared blankly at hers before Garrus took it away.

"Sorry, Silia. Shep can't drink."

"What?" Silia tilted her head in confusion.

Sighing, Shepard frowned. "Garrus is right. I'm not allowed to drink anything."

"Why?"

Shepard's free hand pat her abdomen. "Because of these two little brats. That's why."

Silia frowned. "Aw. That sucks!" She shrugged. "Well, I wish you luck!" She waved happily before running off again.

"So, they're little brats now are they?"

Shepard glared at her fiance again. "Yes. Because of them, I feel sick and tired all the time." Smiling mischievously, she glanced at him. "Of course, we could also say that it's your fault."

Raising his talons in the air, Garrus smirked. "Alright, alright. I get it."

The Commander grabbed her fiance's arm. "C'mon. We're going to dance."

"I-I don't know, Shep. We've seen you dance."

"I told you I took lessons," Shepard snarled, dragging him over to the dance floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shepard noticed her crew looking at her. Most of them looked amused. A few, like Liara, looked slightly horrified. However, true to her word, it was obvious she had taken lessons. Even Garrus had frozen in surprise.

"Shep?"

"Planning to apologize, Vakarian?" Shepard asked with a smirk.

Garrus chuckled and moved closer. "Not in the slightest." His voice lowered to a whisper, "I was going to say that it looks like you've been working on your flexiblilty."

She smacked the former mercenary's arm. "Flatterer," she said laughing as she headed towards a table to sit down.

Garrus joined her. "Are you having fun?"

"Actually. I am." Shepard smiled brightly.

~ Break ~

Legion walked over to Garrus. "Excuse me?"

"Hm?" the Turian hummed, turning around from his conversation with Sarasi, Leo, and James. "What is it Legion?"

"Yeeah?" Vega slurred a little. "What iss it, flassh light head?"

Legion's face plates moved in annoyance as he processed James' comment. He looked back at Garrus. "You asked me to tell you if anything happened to Shepard-Commander."

Garrus felt a small pang in his chest. "Is she alright?"

The Geth nodded. "Yes. Shepard-Commander has fallen asleep at the table."

The former mercenary laughed loudly. He glanced around, spotting his table. True to Legion's word, Shepard's head was down on the table and she was breathing deeply.

"Can you make sure she's left alone, Legion."

"Of course," Legion said calmly, walking back to the table. He sat next to the Commander, making sure no one bothered her.

Garrus' mandibles widened in a smile. "Looks like things are finally calming down."

~ Break ~

Shepard yawned loudly, lifting her head. "Mm?" She looked around. The party was still in full swing, though most of the people there were completely and utterly drunk. "Legion?"

"I am right here, Shepard-Commander."

The Commander jumped a little, turning to her right. Legion sat there calmly, his head turned in her direction.

"I'll be right back. I need to go to the bathroom. Tell Garrus if he asks."

"Acknowledged."

Shepard nodded. "Thanks, Legion."

She walked carefully along the wall, avoiding the drunk party-goers. After a few hallways, she finally found the bathroom. After she was in one of the stalls, someone came in. The voice was slightly scratchy.

"Yes, sir. We're sure she's here." Shepard froze, her eyes wide. "The rest of the Normandy's crew is too, though." A pause. "Understood. Of course taking the Commander is our utmost priority. Our people are in place. They've infiltrated the party already." Another pause. "Uh-huh. We're ready on your order. Understood. Starting the operation. We'll try to take as many people alive as possible." A third pause accompanied by a gasp. "But sir-! Er, right. Understood. We'll kill everyone besides the Commander."

Shepard carefully slipped her ear and mouth pieces out of her purse. She slipped both of them on. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and biotically jumped up so she stood on the top of the stall.

A young Drell stood there, speaking into some sort of communicator. "Begin operation. Codename Capture."

Shepard jumped down, landing on the Drell's shoulders. She twisted her legs, snapping his neck. Tapping her mouthpiece, she practically yelled into it;

"Legion! Enemy forces have infiltrated! Their target is the Normandy crew!"

The Commander jumped off of the Drell as he fell. She grabbed her pistol from her purse and headed back towards the party.

~ Break ~

Garrus laughed again. Admittedly, the Normandy's crew were pretty fun when they were drunk.

"Garrus," Legion spoke from behind him, his voice laced with worry.

"Hm?" Garrus turned around, noting the difference in color on the AI's light. "What's wrong? Why are you blue?"

"Shepard-Commander left to go to the bathroom."

"Your point?"

"She overheard a plot. This party will be attacked any moment. The targets are the Normandy's crew."

Garrus tensed. Behind him, Sarasi and James did the same.

"Legion, tell the rest of the crew immediately. Make sure they're ready."

"Acknowledged." Legion ran off to inform the rest of the crew.

Garrus checked to make sure his collapsible rifle was still hidden on his person. It was. He glanced at Sarasi and James. Both nodded. He glanced around the room.

A faint blue light had started to surround Liara, Samara, Miranda, Jack, and Kaidan. EDI was scanning the room. Javik, Joker, Wrex, Grunt, Leo, and Cortez were ready to grab their hidden weapon of choice. Kasumi was nowhere to be found, though it was obvious she was somewhere preparing to strike. Chakwas was slowly inching her way towards an emergency exit. Both Tali and Legion were pretending to fiddle with their Omni-Tools, though they were really preparing their combat drones. Shepard was nowhere to be seen.

A shot ran through the air. The music stopped suddenly and everyone turned towards the offender. A Batarian smirked at the entrance.

"I suggest you all drop to the floor."

The colonists did as was asked.

"Why don't you, you son of a bitch?!" Jack's voice rang out as she biotically sent him sprawling.

Several 'colonists' stood up, drawing their weapons.

The Batarian yelled out, "We have the approval! Kill them all besides the target!"

Flipping over tables for cover, the Normandy crew started to fight back. Dr. Chakwas started helping as many colonists as she could escape.

~ Break ~

Shepard opened the door a little, peeking out. The hall looked like shit. A few fires were lit, lighting the place up in a flickering light. Her crew was holding their position, but many colonists were lying on the ground. Most of them were dead. She swore under her breath. Slowly and carefully, she slipped out of the door, taking up cover near the offensive forces. Quickly, she started shooting at them.

Two of the invading forces fell before they realized what was going on.

"We're being flanked," one of them yelled.

Taking a deep breath, she looked over the barrier to shoot a few more. A couple started to shoot back. After a few more adjustments, the Commander heard her comm crackle to life.

"_Who's over there?"_

"_I don't know, Garrus! It's not any of us! Maybe it's a colonist or something!"_

"_We need to find out, Liara!"_

Shepard rolled her eyes, tapping her mouthpiece. "Miss me?"

"_Shepard?!" _Garrus gasped. _"What're you doing? Get out of here!"_

"Little late for that, Vakarian. Besides, you needed a hand."

As she raised up to shoot the enemy again, she noticed one of them tackle another.

"What're you doing?" hissed the one that had been tackled. "I had a clear shot!"

"That's the target," the other one growled back. "We can't hurt her!"

Shepard flinched. There was no way her crew didn't hear that.

"_Shepard,"_ Liara called out, annoyance lacing her voice. _"You knew didn't you?!"_

"Not like that matters now, Liara! We need to save as many colonists as possible!"

"_Shepard-Commander. To your right."_

"Huh?" The galaxy's here spun and spotted the enemy trooper trying to sneak up on her. He froze just long enough for the Commander to raise her pistol and blow his head off. "Thanks, Legion."

"_Princess!"_

"Hm?" Shepard heard Leo's voice call out. Before she had time to react, one of the enemy jumped the table she had been using as cover and grabbed her. She felt a small pinch in her side. "You son of a bitch!" Shepard struggled against the Asari's grip.

"I've got her! Retreat!"

"_Like hell you do!"_

Shepard heard the rifle shot. Less than a second later, the Asari that had been holding her fell like a rag doll. She rolled back behind her cover.

"Thanks, Garrus." Shepard went to move, but felt her muscles oddly weak. "Huh?" She glanced down to the side she had felt the pinch on. "Aw, fuck my life."

"_Shepard? What's wrong?"_

"That bitch injected me with something!" Shepard felt the gun drop from her hands and her eyelids began to droop. "Shit," she muttered, too quiet for it to be picked up, "not this again."

~ Break ~

Shepard slowly sat up, coughing. "Ow, my head." One of her hands rubbed the top of her head. She looked around the room. "Where the hell am I?"

The room itself looked like a luxury suite, aside from the lack of windows. Shepard lay in a large deep blue canopy bed.

"This isn't weird at all."

The door opened and closed behind a young human woman. "Hello, miss Shepard. I am Holly, your maid. I brought you breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Shepard stared at the covered tray before shaking her head. "Maid?"

"Of course, miss Shepard. We can't have our wonderful princess without any help."

"Princess?! What the fuck is going on?"

Holly smiled. "I guess you wouldn't know, huh? Well you see, our previous leader brought you back. He never had a successor, and you killed him. Plus, you achieved his goal of taking over the Reapers. It seems only right that you should lead us. Of course, you're in a much higher league than that awful man. It seems perfect that you would be our princess!"

"So you kidnapped me?"

"Well," Holly said sheepishly, "we didn't really have much of a choice. After that rogue faction attacked and almost killed you, we were certain you wouldn't trust us." She smiled again. "Anyway, I brought you breakfast and your outfit for the day. After you eat and are dressed, we can contact your friends."

"The ones you tried to kill?"

"That was General Iroh. He's been fired since them. He always was a violent person. We apologize for anyone who have gotten hurt. We sent compensation."

"You said I could contact the Normandy, right?"

"After you eat and are dressed."

"Alright then. Let's eat." Shepard frowned visibly.

~ Break ~

"Garrus?" Liara's voice was shaking as she approached the seething Turian who had been pacing the War Room.

"Yes, Liara?" Garrus asked curtly, his mind racing.

"EDI says that there is a vid call from the people who have Shepard."

The former mercenary froze before making a mad dash for the Comm Room. Static filled the video.

"EDI. Can you clean this up?"

After a few seconds, the feed became clear. A young human woman stood there. She was smiling brightly, her arms at her sides. She bowed.

"_Hello, sir Vakarian. My name is Holly."_

"Where the hell is Shepard?" Garrus snarled.

Liara stood behind him, worry on her face.

"_Introducing her majesty, Princess Shepard of Cerberus."_

Holly stepped to the side and Shepard took her place. Despite the beautiful dress she was wearing, Shepard looked pissed.

"_Please tell me EDI is tracing this so I can get back."_

Liara stepped forward, past the confused Garrus. "Did she just say 'princess of Cerberus'?"

"_You bet," _Shepard said, her eyes narrowing at Holly. _"Apparently, they decided that I was the Illusive Man's successor. Especially since I completed his goal of taking control of the Reapers."_

"W-wait!" Garrus snapped out of his confusion. "How did they know about that?"

"_They had bugs on the Citadel. They heard the whole story."_

"What happens now?" Laira asked, her voice full of worry.

"_That's a good question. Holly?"_

"_Of course, Princess Shepard. We wish for her to stay here and lead us."_

"_Oh hell no, Holly."_

"Shep belongs on the Normandy," the former mercenary growled.

"_We apologize for any inconvenience. However, according to human history, a princess should never leave her castle if she must rule. I apologize."_

"Call has been traced."

Liara smiled. "Thanks, EDI."

Shepard looked at them pleadingly. _"Please hurry. I don't want to stay here!"_

"_Your majesty," _Holly said with a sigh. _"I apologize, we must be going. We must attend to Cerberus' activities. Good day."_

Garrus spun on his heels as the video cut out. "Joker! Set a course for Shepard's location!"

"_Yes, sir!"_

"EDI! Tell the crew to meet me in the War Room! We have an attack plan to be made!"


	23. Do We Have to Rescue You Again?

**Chapter 23**

**My Comments :**

Hello everyone! I've managed to steal a computer for a few minutes every day. This is the result! Hopefully, I'll have my wonderful Crimson back soon! ^.^ I want you guys/gals to know that I haven't given up on you yet! And I don't plan on it anytime soon. So... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect trilogy or its characters. That honor belongs to BioWare and EA. However, the original characters and plot line in this story belong to me, Espie.

My responses to reviews I have received:

~ **The Invisible Pretender**** :** This is what happens when I decide to watch Avatar before I write my chapter. And me too. I'm trying to see if my step mother (who has a degree in computers) or my college brother will be willing to fix it... No luck so far. Well, my brother has it. But no good news as of now. I'm dying as much as you are. I've had no way to type out my ideas!

~ **Fulliron**** :** Maybe we should just go with a little of both? That's what I think ^.^'' Well, maybe a lot of both.

~ **stupidgoats**** : **I plan on keeping it going for quite a while, even if it means a time skip or two. No worries about that. And Shepard has to! She's Shepard! Besides, she wouldn't be Shepard if she didn't get into trouble.

Oh! Random request! Tell me your guys' favorite songs! Has to fit a 'T' rating though! Thanks a bunch!

**The Story :**

"Milady, you must make a choice!"

"Screw off."

Shepard sat back in her throne, glaring at the young maid before her. The Cerberus ship she was had been evaded the Normandy for almost a month now. Even now, she still had no idea what the ship was. It was bigger than the average frigate, but still smaller the average dreadnaught. A large room, the throne room, was near the top of the ship. Glass was spread throughout of the top of this particular room, allowing Shepard to stare at the stars and let her mind wander. Down the hall, was the 'Royal Bedroom'. It often reminded the hero of the pictures of the Queens' bedrooms in Medieval England. A bathroom was attached. These two rooms were where the Commander ate her meals, bathed, and did anything during her off hours. Armed guards were always outside her door, restricting her ability to explore.

And the lessons! To Shepard, the lessons were torture. They were on all the topics of being a Cerberus princess. There were the obvious things – speech, dining manners, et cetra – and the less obvious ones – sewing, strategical thinking, singing, et cetra. Let's just say that Shepard only liked one of her less obvious lessons and hated everything else. In fact, she constantly voiced her opinions to Holly, in a less then Princess-y manner.

"Milady! The troops need to know whether to continue their colonization or retreat. Please tell us!"

Shepard lowered her head from the stars to glare at her maid again. "Holly. I do not give a _shit_. I am still being kept here against my will by people who have killed so many of the people I cared about."

Holly sighed, smoothing out her sky blue dress. "I am very sorry about that, your majesty. We were not the same as we once were. We have changed. Please help us."

The Commander played with the sleeve of her sea blue, floor-length gown. "Fine. Since you insist on this topic, the strategic thing to do would be to colonize. The local fauna shouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you, milady." Holly quickly typed some orders into her Omni-Tool.

"There, I helped. May I have my Omni-Tool back now?"

"We can't risk your safety, princess. Please understand."

Shepard mumbled a few obscenities under her breath before glaring at her maid. "May I contact the Normandy?"

After tapping her chin thoughtfully for a few moments, Holly nodded. "We were planning on leaving this system anyway. Allow me to go prepare the crew. They will need to be ready for the jump."

"Fine. Please hurry, Holly."

Shepard watched Holly leave the room. Once the door shut, she grabbed a large piece of paper from under her throne. A makeshift map of the galaxy in her neat handwriting adorned the page. A series of lines linking solar systems spread throughout the map. A small pin rested in their current location, the Trebia system.

"Let's see. According to this pattern," the Commander mumbled quietly, "we're going to the Widow system this time. Widow? Why is that so familiar?" Shoving the map back under the throne, she jumped. "Oh! The Citadel! I know what to do!"

~ Break ~

Garrus stared at the pictures on the bedside. Four frames lay easily on the stand on his fiance's side. Two were the familiar ones from his childhood. The third was a picture of the crew during Shepard's party. The fourth was a picture taken, apparently by Kasumi, on the day he had taken his girlfriend atop the Presidium. The thought had occurred to him that she must have been on there with them, but he pushed it out of his mind.

"Garrus? Holly is requesting that we open a video link. She is waiting in the Vid Room."

"Thanks, EDI." The former mercenary jumped up, heading straight for the elevator. Along the way, he was joined by Joker, Liara, and Javik. An odd group, but he was thankful for their support nonetheless.

As they entered the room, Holly smiled. _"Oh good. Her majesty was getting antsy waiting for you. Introducing her majesty, Princess Shepard of Cerberus."_

As Holly backed away, the video cut out for a moment to adjust itself. When it reappeared, an annoyed Shepard was sitting on her throne, picking at her dress. Holly knelt down next to her.

"_Garrus! Liara! Joker! Javik! You are all alright!"_

The group sighed with relief.

"Isn't that what we should be saying to you, Commander?"

"_I am fine, Joker. Just tired of being forced to make decisions for Cerberus."_ Shepard removed her crown so she could play with her forcibly curled hair. _"Oh, um, Garrus? How is Hackett doing?"_

Garrus tilted his head in confusion. "What? Why does that matter?"

"_Just think about it for me, will you, Garrus?"_

Liara moved closer to him, whispering so only he could hear, "it could be a hint of some sort, Garrus." After a small nod from the former mercenary, Liara ran off, heading towards the cockpit to order EDI to call Hackett so she could speak with him.

"_I was just curious. Anyway,"_ she tapped her leg nervously. _"How's everyone? How're you three?"_

"_Milady? Use all of your words."_

"_Shut it, Holly."_

Joker raised an eyebrow. "Other than most of them going crazy from trying to figure out where you are, they're fine. No need to worry, Commander."

"_That is good. I was worried about all of you. I guess it comes with the whole being gone for a month."_

Javik tilted his head lightly. "And the little ones inside of you?"

Shepard chuckled at the three inquisitive stares suggesting they all had the same question. _"Starting to show a little, the little punks."_

Garrus cringed a little, unnoticeable by Shepard. He knew very little about human pregnancies, only what he had read on the ExtraNet, but he did know that starting to show meant that he wanted to be with Shepard, no matter what.

Checking her Omni-Tool, Holly stood up. _"We must be going. It is time for tea and we must practice her majesty's manners."_

"She has manners?"

"_Oh, ha ha, Joker. Very funny."_

"_Goodbye, Normandy crew. Please be careful with your endeavors."_

Shepard looked like she wanted to say something else, but Holly cut the feed before she could.

~ Break ~

Shepard sighed again. "Alright, alright. Let me try that again." She took a deep breath. "Why yes, Miss Holly. I would love another sugar in my tea."

Holly smiled brightly. "I live to serve, Milady." She dropped a sugar cube into the Commander's cup.

"_Princess Shepard? We have an ETA of thirty minutes. I suggest you have Holly prepare you."_

Holly stood. "Thank you, Pilot Jones." She brushed out her skirt. "Please come, milady. We must prepare you for your appearance."

"A-appearance?! Holly!" The maid began to drag her to the bathroom. "N-no! Stop it!"

~ Break ~

Garrus paced the length of the CIC, waiting for the docking sequence to finish. The Normandy had docked at a different docking bay in hopes that they could get the jump on the Cerberus Ship. Most of the possible ground party members were armed and ready. Even Leo, Kasumi, and Sarasi were there, though Kasumi was nowhere to be _seen_.

Joker stepped out from the cockpit, finishing an adjustment on his chest plate. "We're ready to go, Garrus. Hackett is meeting you."

Garrus nodded, gesturing for everyone to follow him. As the door opened, Hackett nodded at him.

"The Cerberus vessel is already docking. They have an audience with the council. I can get you in there. The council already agreed on it. Follow me."

The crew followed the Admiral without hesitation, though with the hesitation the Council had given Shepard during the war, they were surprised that they readily agreed on this plan.

~ Break ~

"What is the meaning of this?" The Asari councilor stepped forward in annoyance. "You hide someone from us? How are we to know that they are not armed?"

Holly bowed politely, waving off the people that had been carrying the large platform. "She is not armed, Councilor. Royalty is never armed."

"Royalty?" Mordin perked up, curiosity trumping all other worries of the possible threat.

"Yes. This is the leader Cerberus has chosen, even if she wasn't entirely for it. We hope to enter an era of peace with her as our leader."

"Show us," the Turian councilor demanded, his voice sounding even more commanding compared to the soft voices of his counterparts.

"If you wish." Holly bowed again before pulling back to the curtains. "Allow me to introduce her majesty, Princess Shepard of Cerberus!"

A gasp rose from each of the Councilors as Shepard was, in fact, behind the curtains. She sat, looking incredibly annoyed and bored, on the throne. She wore a simple, yet elegant gold satin gown that reached the ground. There was a slightly visible bump on her stomach.

"Forced princess, Holly. Get it right." Shepard leaned back, taking her golden, opal-encrusted crown off to play with it. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Councilors."

"Shepard?!"

Shepard smiled sadly. "Unfortunately yes, Councilor Mordin. I have been condemned to the life of an unwilling princess. They will not even let me near the Normandy crew."

"Your majesty, you are making your life seem awful."

"But it is, Holly. I think you lack this understanding."

The Asari Councilor stepped forward. "Commander? What happened?"

"Well, you see, I was doing a mission on Mindoir. Well, overseeing a mission. I have been banned from battle. Anyway, I was overseeing a mission on Mindoir when a group of Cerberus thought it would be alright to storm in, kill some natives, then kidnap me. Luckily, there were very few casualties."

"Why were you banned from battle?"

"Always the battle-ready Turian, eh Councilor? Anyway, humans are not allowed to participate in battle when they are pregnant. I am not sure if this is common in the other races."

"From who?" question Mordin, his voice full of curiosity.

"My fiance," Shepard answered, producing her ring from its hidden spot in her sleeve.

"Milady!" Holly stepped forward. "I threw that away!"

"And I found it. Anyway-"

"I know this may not seem important now, Commander, but we would like to know." The Asari Councilor took a deep breath. "Who exactly is this fiance?"

~ Break ~

Garrus cringed. Holly had attempted to throw away the ring he had gotten Shepard? He was happy she had found it, but this was getting worse and worse. A quick glance from Hackett suggested they wait a little while longer. He perked up a little at the councilor's next question. But before Shepard could answer, Hackett gave the signal. Immediately, the Normandy crew jumped down from the walk ways above.

Holly froze, looking around wildly. "But how?! There was no way they could know we were here! The Normandy wasn't even docked here!"

"The Normandy's secondary docking bay, D63, I assume."

Holly looked over at Shepard as James roughly grabbed her arms and handcuffed her. "You knew? You gave them a hint?"

"Mm. It sounded like a good idea." Shepard tossed the crown on the throne as she stood up, happy to be free. After glancing around, and ignoring the majority of her crew leading Cerberus troops away, she spotted Garrus. He was walking towards the platform, relief evident on his face. "Garrus!" The Commander ran and jumped off the platform, almost knocking her fiance off his feet as she landed in his arms.

"Commander Shepard?"

Shepard sighed audibly, separating herself from her fiance. "Yes, Councilor Tevos?"

"You did not answer our earlier question."

"Mm," the Commander hummed quietly. "You are looking at him."

The Councilors, as well as Hackett, froze, their gazes locked on the duo.

"I apologize, but I have had a long month. I request that you allow me to take my leave."

Mordin nodded lightly, giving her a look that suggested he'd be visiting the Normandy soon. With a swish of her dress, Shepard turned around and allowed Garrus to lead the way back to her wonderful ship.

~ Break ~

Shepard stretched carefully, cracking her neck. She tightened the belt attached to her jeans, zipped up her sweatshirt, and stepped out of the bathroom with a contented sigh. Her fiance sat at her desk, his mandibles widened in a huge smile. Quickly closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Mm. I missed you, Garrus."

Garrus nuzzled her neck. "I missed you too, Shep."

"I tried to contact you more, but they would not let me. They even took away my Omni-Tool."

"It's alright. You're here now. But why are you talking so funny?"

"I am not talking funny!"

Garrus laughed happily. "I'm glad you're back, Shep."

"Glad to be back."

"_I apologize for interrupting, Commander. Mordin Solus is on his way to your cabin."_

With a sigh, Shepard separated herself from her fiance. "Thank you very much, EDI."

The Commander walked down the steps carefully before sitting on the edge of the bed. The former mercenary took his usual perch on the couch. They waited in silence until a _ding _broke it.

"Commander. Many things have changed. How? Why?" Mordin immediately shot off questions, curiosity covering his face.

"Nice to see you too, Mordin," Shepard said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She noticed Garrus shake a little as he held in a chuckle. "And honestly, I would like to know the answer to the _'how'_ as well."

"Nice to see you, Shepard. Truly. Still surprised. Anything of sort originally thought impossible."

Shepard rolled her eyes again, leaning back. "What is with everyone and the word impossible recently?"

Garrus rolled his own eyes, standing up so he could be closer to his fiance. "It seems to be the word of choice since Karin first found out." His gaze shifted to the Salarian Councilor in the room. "No one knows exactly how it's possible, Mordin. The whole thing was kind of a shock."

"Mm. Run tests perhaps?"

Shepard watched Garrus freeze for a moment before stepping protectively in front of her. His mandibles were pressed tightly to his face and he raised his arm in front of her.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

The Commander stood, stepping under Garrus' arm. "It depends, Mordin. Are these tests dangerous in any way?"

Garrus growled quietly, his chest rumbling. "Shepard!"

"No. Tests safe. Non-invasive. No threat to child or-."

"Child_ren_, Mordin. There are two."

Mordin blinked at Shepard for a few moments before continuing, "-children or mother."

"Then it should be fine."

"Shepard," Garrus whined a little, causing Shepard to grit her teeth in order to keep a straight face.

"Calm down, Vakarian. I am perfectly safe. Mordin said so," the Commander rolled her eyes as she spoke.

"But Shepa-"

"No buts, Vakarian. That is an order."

The former mercenary sighed in defeat and sat back on the couch, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Mordin?"

"Hm?" The scientist Salarian turned his head to look at Garrus, his mind coming back from wherever it had gone.

"Is it just me or is Shepard talking funny?"

"Funny?" Shepard glared at her fiance. "I am not talking strangely." Both men in the room blinked at her, not believing a word she said. "Fine! The entire time I was gone I was taking lessons on how to be a princess. One of the lessons included how to speak like a princess."

"One of?"

Glaring at the two men in her cabin, Shepard walked over to the couch and sat in the corner. "Among others."

Mordin spun on his heels, knowing that now might be a good time to leave. "Will go prepare Med Bay for tests. Meet you there?"

"Yes, Mordin. I will be down shortly."

The scientist walked excitedly out of the room, muttering about tests under his breath. After he was gone, Garrus joined his fiance on her corner of the couch.

"What else did you learn?"

The Commander grumbled again, glaring at the ceiling. "Things."

"Shepard. Was it that awful?"

"Not all of it. Let's see," she mumbled, tapping her chin, "I learned all about what silverware to use during a fancy meal." Ignoring the former mercenary's shaking shoulders, she continued, "There were also some lessons about archery, dancing, sewing, and," Shepard sped up so much that the last word came out in an unintelligible jumble.

"What was that last one, Shep?"

The Commander stood up, heading towards the door. "Singing! I took goddamn singing lessons!"

Garrus watched, shocked, as his fiance stormed out of the room and into the elevator. Shepard _singing_? After seeing her original dancing skills, the thought scared him a little. She was a warrior, a great strategist, and an amazing fiance. But a singer? The Turian shivered a little, standing up to follow her, but then deciding against it. He headed towards the Main Battery instead. He hadn't calibrated nearly enough lately.

~ Break ~

Shepard took a deep breath before stepping out of the elevator. She smiled at everyone she passed, trying to get the memories from the past month out of her head. The door to the Med Bay seemed to open excruciatingly slow as she ignored the obvious stares from her crew.

"Ah, Shepard! Perfect timing! Sit!"

Rolling her eyes, the Commander walked into the room at sat down on the nearest bed. Chakwas was looking nervously at the test tubes, syringes, and datapads Mordin had strewn methodically around her desk. The Salarian causing this anxiety was calmly triple-checking that he had everything.

"Mm. Start with blood test. Maybe other tests later."

Mordin grabbed a large needle from his collection. After rubbing it with something, a something Shepard was pretty sure was an antibiotic pad, he turned towards her. She grit her teeth. It wasn't that she was _afraid_ of needles. She just didn't like them.

"Hold out right arm. Stay still."

She did as was asked, staring out the Med Bay window to avoid watching the needle pierce her skin. As she stared blankly as the empty kitchen, her mind began to wander.

~ Break ~

"_Okay, milady, I need you to listen carefully. This song will be broadcast throughout the whole ship. We have been practicing for this moment."_

_Shepard glared at Holly, her eyes narrowing to slits. "I am not going to sing for the crew of this ship." She leaned back in her throne, crossing her legs. "Ever."_

"_You majesty," Holly groaned. "You're impossible! Twenty days of practice have been leading to this moment! The crew is ready for you to sing and as princess, you must raise their morale with a song."_

"_Still not singing. I can not sing, Holly. Not well. I failed Chorus in school."_

"_Fine. You have twenty minutes to prepare yourself, milady. Then I shall be back and you will have no choice."_

_Shepard watched Holly stalk off in annoyance, typing away at her Omni-Tool. She sighed, uncrossing her legs and slumping her shoulders. After twenty-three days of this ridiculous training with this even more ridiculous notion of her being a princess, she was exhausted. Just attacking her guards and stealing a gun to try and escape sounded like a idea that was getting better by the day._

~ Break ~

"Last sample, Shepard. Little longer."

Shepard nodded slightly, not really paying attention to her old friend.

~ Break ~

"_Relax, honey. She won't feel a thing. She's under the anesthetic."_

_Mr. Shepard glared at his wife. "But she's still aware, Espie! She's not even mature and you're going to start doing these surgeries on her? Espie, she's only nine!"_

_Espie Shepard put down her scalpel, spinning on the heels of her stilettos. "Will you calm down? These tests are keeping our shit hole of a farm going and keeping this colony safe. Do you want to be the reason that everyone here is killed?"_

_Sighing, he leaned against the wall. "No, I don't. I still don't think this is the way to go. Can't you do other tests? Something that doesn't involve our daughter?"_

"_It's too late now, Jonathan. She is the subject of this particular string of tests."_

_Shepard's dad sighed loudly, shaking his head. "So what exactly is the experiment this time?" he asked, looking around the plain, white, sterile room. Anywhere other than is daughter._

"_Cerberus sent some organs of other species. My goal is to see what I can replace without causing a whole organ shut down."_

_Jonathan stood quickly. "Espie! You can't do that! You could kill her!"_

"_I'll be keeping an eye on her, sweetie. Don't worry. She _is _my daughter too you know. I don't want to kill her. Now either calm down and help or get out so I can concentrate."_

"_I can't watch this."_

_Jonathan shook his head at his wife before leaving the room with a simple phrase muttered under his breath, "I'm sorry, my wonderful daughter."_

~ Break ~

"Shepard?"

"Huh?" The Commander shook her head, turning to Mordin. "Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought."

"It is fine. I am finished here. You can go."

The hero smiled. "Thanks, Mordin. We'll have to catch up sometime, alright?"

The scientist smiled back happily. "Definitely. Will make plans."

Shepard waved at him and Chakwas before leaving the Med Bay. Her steps echoed in the silent Mess Hall as people stopped their conversations to stare at their returnee Commander. Ignoring them, she headed into the elevator. After tapping '2' she leaned against the back wall. Her eyes skimmed the blank wall for anything to distract herself from her own thoughts. Lucky for her, the CIC was only one floor away, so in almost no time at all, a _ding_ interrupted her attempt at ignoring her own thoughts. Ignoring more stares, Shepard headed for the cockpit. Luckily, EDI was out, probably doing another check on her core, so the Commander took her seat.

"Hey, Commander. Oh wait, its Princess now, right?"

"Very funny, Joker," Shepard said with an eye roll.

"I try," her pilot replied with a chuckle. "How are things?"

"Things? You'll need to be more specific."

"EDI mentioned that everyone stopped talking when they saw you. And Mordin is apparently running tests in the Med Bay."

Sighing, Shepard leaned back into the Co-Pilot's chair. "Yeah. For some reason, I now inspire silence in my crew. And Mordin was just running some tests on me. Making sure I was alright and all that. Though I admit I am curious what he plans do to with all that blood he took from me."

Joker smirked. "I was talking to the doctor while Mordin was doing the tests. She said that you were spacing out." After registering the surprise on Shepard's face, Joker realized Chakwas was right. "What were you thinking about, Commander?"

Frowning, Shepard sighed. "Well, at first I was remembering the time Holly made me sin-. Never mind."

The pilot glanced at his commanding officer. "Were you going to say 'sing', Commander? You sing now?"

"No. Holly made me take lessons then sing to the whole crew."

Joker laughed loudly, turning away from his console. "Oh jeez, Commander. Maybe you should do that for-."

"No."

"Aw, come on, Comm-."

"No."

"Aw, you're no fun, Commander." He laughed again, turning back to his console. "Earlier, you said 'at first'. What else did you think of?"

Rolling her eyes again, Shepard leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "Nice save, Joker. I was, uh, remembering some of the later tests done on me."

"Mm. Want to talk about it?"

"Not especially, but you're going to make me right?"

"It's no fun when you know what I plan to do, Commander."

Shepard leaned back again, staring at the endless expanse of space on the other side of the window. "My mother was sent organs from other species. No one was ever able to do the correct tests on me to figure out."

~ Break ~

_Shepard crept along the wall carefully, using her newly developed biotics to keep the floor from creaking. Finally she reached her destination; the outside of her parents room. She could hear the voices from inside._

"_Espie you can't keep her like that!"_

"_Stay quiet, Jonathan. You'll wake her. Anyway, I can keep her like that. She's ten now, Jonathan. The organs have fully integrated with her body. As per Cerberus orders, we are making the perfect super soldier."_

"_Is this all because of that stupid leader?" her father snapped. "What's his name again? The Illusive Man? He's the head of that facility and he's making you create the perfect soldier for his own purposes!"_

"_The Lazarus project is wonderful, Jonathan! Our daughter won't be some stupid farmer's wife! She'll be a soldier for the interests of humanity! With what I've done, she now has biotic abilities, increased strength, and even a longer life span!"_

_Feeling like she was going to throw up, Shepard slowly slipped back to her room. Once there, she buried her face in her pillow and cried._

~ Break ~

"Wait, the Lazarus project? I thought that was the project name for bringing you back."

Shepard nodded slowly. "It was. But it was only given that name so no one could dig up any other information on the actual Lazarus Project, a project created with the specific purpose of making a super soldier. Besides, I am the Lazarus Project. Makes sense to name my resurrection after my project name."

Joker leaned back, whistling. "Looks like that project bit him in the ass, huh, Commander?"

After a failed attempt to keep it in, the galaxy's hero laughed. "I guess it did, Joker."


End file.
